SPRINGDALE — A major revision of the city's animal ordinance to encourage responsibility by pet owners could go before the City Council this evening.
The proposed ordinance would encourage pet owners to spay or neuter their pets and keep them under control, Mayor Doug Sprouse said.
"It makes sense that reducing the number of animals running loose would reduce our problem," Sprouse said. "Spaying and neutering more animals would go a long way toward reaching our goal."
The animal shelter euthanized 1,599 pets in 2009 because of too many unwanted animals, said Brett Harris, shelter director.
City staff has been working on revising the animal ordinances since last summer. Harris and Amber Roe, deputy city attorney, drew up the changes, using ordinances in effect in cities all over the country, Harris said.
The revisions must make their way through the ordinance committee, that meets prior to the council, before coming to a vote.
"If we have any major changes, we can always hold it," said Mike Overton, chairman of the ordinance committee. "What we need is to move it along."
The revised ordinance includes requiring a chip to be placed under a dog or cat's skin for identification. With a chip, about the size of a grain of rice, the animal's owner can be identified even if a collar identification tag is lost, Harris said.
The shelter would offer chipping under the direction of a veterinarian at a cost of $20 per animal, Harris said. The procedure cost would replace an annual $5 license fee with a one-time fee, Harris said.
"Registration of animals that have already been chipped would be free," Harris said.
The ordinance includes higher fees for each time an animal is picked up running loose, with an extra charge for animals that have not been spayed or neutered. Animals cannot be staked out and fees must be paid for litters, with owners required to purchase a breeding license if an animal has more than one litter a year.
Sprouse will soon go to the council to propose a dog park be created at Bobby Hopper Park, he said. The design process is still under way.
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MEETING INFORMATION
What: Springdale City Council
When: 6 p.m. today
Where: City Council chambers, City Administration Building
On The Agenda:
* An ordinance to amend the animal control regulations
* Resolutions to reappoint Dave Chapman and Danny Dotson to the Springdale Civil Service Commission
* A resolution to establish a procedure for selection and appointments for the Civil Service Commission.