ABSTRACT
Animals are subject to the law. Animals neither obey nor disobey law, but their behavior is subject to legal authority; their status makes them subject to legal recourse. Animals might come before the court for reasons ranging from housing violations to dangerousness. Contraband animals could be confiscated by authorities, seized, or surrendered to animal control. Potentially dangerous animals may be seized. Jurisdictional variations will determine whether owners were required to know of animals' dangerous propensities prior to seizure. "Animal control" may describe an agency, governmental authority, or a role within the criminal justice system. Not every jurisdiction has a government-sponsored animal control agency. Thus, animal control duties are often entrusted to and regulated by private organizations, for example, the Humane Society or the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). Animal control officers play an important role within the criminal justice system. Animals are vulnerable to humans, homelessness, other animals, society, and the criminal justice system.
