A bill moving through the state legislature would fast-track the adoption of abused animals in California, by allowing shelters to adopt them out before their criminal abuse case is resolved.
Currently animals involved in cruelty cases can stay in shelters for months or even years while a case moves through the courts, even when defendants fail to show up.
The new bill would let prosecutors petition courts to forfeit an animal after a defendant misses court for 30 days.
State assemblymember Matt Haney of San Francisco authored the bill.
"Animals who have been victims in animal cruelty cases, animals who have already been harmed," said Haney. "Those animals right now are being re-victimized because our law does not allow us to adopt them out as the court proceedings are underway."
The bill originally included a public registry of animal abusers, which drew opposition. That provision was removed, and the bill now has no registered opposition.
The Assembly passed the bill unanimously. It now heads to the state Senate.