If you’re ever arrested, or if animal control shows up during a domestic violence situation, your pet doesn’t just get held indefinitely while you figure things out. There’s a timer running. And most people have no idea.
When a pet is brought into a shelter after an owner is arrested or removed from their home, it typically gets placed on a hold — but that hold has a limit. At some shelters, like those managed by LifeLine Animal Project in Atlanta, that automatic hold is just five days. After that, the animal can be processed for adoption or other outcomes.
The window varies by location. Some places give you more time, some less. But the pattern is the same everywhere: if you don’t take action before the deadline, you can lose ownership permanently.
And in some states, it gets even more specific. In Washington State, for example, if an animal is seized under cruelty laws, the owner has until 5:00 p.m. on the 14th calendar day after seizure to file a written petition contesting the seizure — or they automatically forfeit all legal interest in the animal. Missing that deadline means you’ve waived your right to contest it. The animal is considered abandoned by operation of law.
That’s not a warning. That’s the law doing something permanent while you might still be in a holding cell or dealing with a crisis.
For survivors of domestic violence specifically, the situation is even more complicated. Leaving an abusive home is already terrifying, and the fear of leaving a pet behind — or losing it entirely — can actually keep people in unsafe situations longer. The ASPCA recognizes this, and many animal shelters now work directly with domestic violence organizations to temporarily house pets so survivors can leave safely without abandoning their animals.
So what do you actually do if this happens?
First, contact the shelter or animal control agency as fast as possible — ideally the same day. Find out exactly what hold policy applies in your county and what the deadline is. Don’t assume you have 30 days just because someone told you that once. Policies differ, and verbal assurances don’t extend legal deadlines.
If you’re in a domestic violence situation, ask the shelter if they have a safe housing program for pets of survivors. Many do, and they won’t charge you. Some shelters will hold animals for weeks specifically to help people escape dangerous situations without losing their pets.
If you’re dealing with a criminal case and your pet was seized as part of it, talk to your attorney immediately. In some states, you may be able to post a bond to extend the hold period while the case is resolved. But you have to ask — nobody is going to remind you.
The bottom line is this: when it comes to seized animals, silence equals forfeiture. Acting fast is the only thing that protects you.