Director of Animal Welfare warns expedited forfeiture timetable could prevent seizures, strain shelters
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Summary
Lisa Millett, director of Vermont’s Division of Animal Welfare, told the Judiciary Committee the bill’s service and forfeiture rules could leave a 'time bomb' in the 45‑day window and that rescues often refuse animals when title and payment are uncertain; she recommended clearer vet‑accompaniment and cited State v Shepherd and Minnesota’s posted‑notice practice.
Lisa Millett, director of animal welfare at the Vermont Department of Public Safety, testified after the committee’s walk‑through, urging changes to several operational provisions that she said could hinder enforcement and animal care.
Millett raised a practical concern about the draft’s requirement that a veterinarian accompany humane officers executing a search warrant. She suggested wording that would preserve the requirement’s intent while avoiding an operational barrier: "...I would recommend language very similar to what you drafted ... failure to have a veterinarian shall not be grounds for dismissal or suppression of any evidence based on, I think, it's State v Shepherd," she said and offered to send the case citation to legislative counsel.
Millett also warned that the bill’s expedited timetable is vulnerable to delay under civil service Rule 4 service requirements. She described rescue organizations’ experience that effecting service for absent owners can take "six months or more," creating a "time bomb" within the 45‑day framework and prompting many rescues to decline to house seized animals when outcomes are uncertain.
To address those risks, Millett recommended alternative notice and service approaches used in other states — for example, posted notice models — and stressed the practical limits of Vermont’s largely volunteer shelter network. "Rescues and shelters can't help under this approach if the owner's not present," she said, adding that prolonged custody harms animals’ welfare and strains private providers.
Millett concluded by urging the committee to consider funding or system changes for housing seized animals and to consult further with shelters and the secretary of agriculture to ensure the statute can be implemented without creating untenable burdens for volunteers and veterinary offices. The committee took a brief break and planned to hear additional witnesses, including shelter directors, after the recess.