Iowa Code » Chapter 717B — MISTREATMENT OF ANIMALS
Iowa Code

Iowa Code § 717B.5 (2026)

Rescue of threatened animals

✓ current as of July 2026
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A local authority may provide for the rescue of an animal as follows:

1. The rescue must be made by a law enforcement officer having cause to believe that the animal is a threatened animal after consulting with a veterinarian licensed pursuant to chapter 169. The law enforcement officer may rescue the animal by entering on public or private property, as provided in this subsection. The officer may enter onto property of a person to rescue the animal if the officer obtains a search warrant issued by a court, or enters onto the premises in a manner consistent with the laws of this state and the United States, including Article I, section 8, of the Constitution of the State of Iowa, or the fourth amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

2. a. If an animal is rescued pursuant to this section, the local authority shall provide for the maintenance of the animal. The local authority may contract with an animal care provider for the maintenance of the animal. The local authority shall provide the responsible party for the animal with notice of the rescue. The notice may be accomplished by doing any of the following:

(1) Delivering written notice to the responsible party’s last known address by the United States postal service or personal service.

(2) Posting a notice in a conspicuous place at the location where the animal was rescued.

b. The notice shall state that the animal has been rescued by the local authority pursuant to this section.

3. Within ten days after the date that an animal is rescued, the local authority shall initiate a dispositional proceeding pursuant to section 717B.4.

4. The local authority shall pay the animal care provider for the animal’s maintenance regardless of proceeds received from the disposition of the animal or any reimbursement ordered by a court, pursuant to section 717B.4. 94 Acts, ch 1103, §16; 2002 Acts, ch 1130, §4; 2013 Acts, ch 30, §261 Referred to in §717B.1, 717B.4 \n

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 3 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 1998–2021 · leading case: City of Dubuque v. Fancher, 590 N.W.2d 493 (Iowa 1999).
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City of Dubuque v. Fancher, 590 N.W.2d 493 (Iowa 1999). · cites it 13× “Additionally, the district court may order the owner of the neglected animal to pay the “expenses incurred in maintaining the neglected animal rescued pursuant to section 717B.5, and reasonable attorney fees and expenses related to the investigation of the case.”
Johnson Cnty. v. Kriz, 582 N.W.2d 759 (Iowa 1998). · cites it 4× “See Iowa Code § 717B.5 (law enforcement officer may, after consulting with veterinarian, enter premises to rescue neglected animals).”
In the Matter of Prop. Seized for Forfeiture from Barbara J. Kavars (Iowa Ct. App. 2021). · cites it 4× “[4] With respect to 4 Iowa Code section 717B.5 provides: A local authority may provide for the rescue of an animal as follows: (1) The rescue must be made by a law enforcement officer having cause to believe that the animal is a threatened animal after consulting with a…”
Iowa Code § 717B.5(1): 1 case
City of Dubuque v. Fancher, 590 N.W.2d 493 (Iowa 1999). “Additionally, the district court may order the owner of the neglected animal to pay the “expenses incurred in maintaining the neglected animal rescued pursuant to section 717B.5, and reasonable attorney fees and expenses related to the investigation of the case.”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.