This bill re-writes Georgia's law on ownership of dangerous and vicious dogs. If a dog bites, attacks or attempts to bite or attack a person or domestic animal, then the owner of the dog or the person providing care to the dog will be liable for any damages, including consequential damages.  

HB 146 does not allow anyone in a residentially zoned area to train dogs to attack humans (or house dogs that have been trained to attack humans) unless such a use is specifically allowed in the county's zoning regulations.

HB 146 does not allow a person convicted of a serious felony, felony dogfighting or animal cruelty, felony trafficking of illegal drugs to own or reside with a dog that has not been spayed or neutered or a dog that has been classified as dangerous or vicious until ten years after the felon has completed his or her sentence.

HB 146 allows any judge to order the euthanasia of a dog if the court finds, after notice and an opportunity to be heard, that the dog has killed or seriously injured a person or presents a danger to people.

HB 146 also rewrites the Dangerous Dog Control Law as the Responsible Dog Ownership Law.

This bill makes changes to the law making cruelty to animals a crime.

This bill provides that it is a felony to negligently or intentionally not secure a "dangerous dog" or "potentially dangerous dog" who attacks a human causing severe injury or death. The owner of the dog would be punished by one to three years in prison and/or up to $20,000 fine.

HB 782 would require county animal shelters that euthanize animals to maintain a registry of animal rescue groups that will accept animals facing euthanasia. The registry must include the name, mailing address, telephone number, website, e-mail address, emergency contact, the types of animals that the rescue accepts (including type and breed), as well as a statement as to whether the rescue group is willing and able to care for unweaned animals, sick or injured animals or animals with behavior problems.  

The county is required to compile a monthly and yearly summary of the number of animals, by species type that have been impounded, euthanized, died, lost, stolen, returned to their owners, adopted, transferred to other organizations or rescue groups and remain in the custody of the animal shelter.

The county may also request that the rescue group also provide an "informal" monthly report of the number of animals that have been given to the group, the number that have been adopted, the number that have died or been euthanized and the number that remain in the care of the rescue group.  The county is not permitted to ask for any further information as a condition of being placed on the registry.

The county cannot euthanize an animal unless the shelter has given at least two full business days notice (with written documentation) to all rescue groups on the registry that have indicated a willingness to take that type of animal.  Rescue groups have twenty-four hours to respond to the notification and another two full business days to take possession of the animal.  

In the case of unweaned animals without their mothers who cannot receive feedings at the shelter or be placed in foster care, the shelter must provide at least 8 hours notice to rescue groups that have indicated a willingness to receive unweaned animals.

The county may assess a fee, not to exceed its standard adoption fee, for each animal released to a rescue group.

This bill prohibits cities and counties from enacting any zoning ordinances that either prohibit or require a permit from any residential property owner to grow food crops, chickens, honey bees or rabbits so long as they are raised for human consumption by members of the household. No limits are set on minimum property size or the number of critters raised.