The “Animal Care and Control Omnibus Amendment Act of 2021” would make numerous updates to the District of Columbia municipal regulations concerning companion animals. It would: 1) authorize animal control vehicles to operate emergency lights and sirens when responding to life-threatening animal emergencies; 2) enable the Washington Humane Society to recover costs incurred boarding animals during a pending criminal or other proceeding; 3) prohibit declawing of cats; 4) require pet stores to offer only rescue animals; 5) ban the ownership of dogfighting tools and equipment; 6) criminalize bestiality; and 7) require family law judges to make joint or sole custody decisions that reflect the best interest of the animal in cases of divorce.
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