Editor's Summary: Most people agree that unjustified cruelty to animals should be avoided. Consequently, all 50 states and the District of Columbia have laws prohibiting such abuse. Yet when the owner of an animal is suspected of engaging in abuse or neglect, the animal is usually seized or impounded by the state or local authority. This often results in the animal being left in a shelter for a long period of time while the state prepares its case. The authors argue that extended shelter stays are not only unnecessary, but they do not serve in the animal's or the owner's best interest. Instead, they argue that states should adopt laws requiring a quick and final determination of a seized animal's status without reference to any criminal proceedings that may be pending against the animal's owner. This allows the state to immediately place the animal in a safe environment while keeping the integrity of the criminal prosecution intact.