FARMINGTON -- Farmington City Council will consider an ordinance at its May 13 meeting to establish new animal control regulations that cover a range of issues, including minimum care of animals, the number of dogs and cats allowed in a household, cruelty to animals, noisy animals and required vaccinations and license tags.
A public hearing on the regulations will be held as part of the Council's meeting at 6 p.m., at City Hall. The regulations are spelled out in a 22-page document.
A 'Do-Over'
City Attorney Steve Tennant said the ordinance with attached regulations would replace the city's 2006 animal control ordinance.
"This is a do-over," Tennant said last week, noting the state now has a number of laws dealing with animals and these will be referenced in the city's new animal control regulations.
He said he looked over ordinances in many cities, including Sheridan, Little Rock, Rogers, Springdale and Jonesboro, when working on the regulations.
"I spent a lot of time on this," Tennant said.
Farmington's regulations do not address all issues, Tennant said, and this was decided after a consensus with city staff and feedback from others.
For example, the city will not prohibit certain types of dogs. Tennant said Little Rock is the only city he found that prohibits certain types of dogs, and it does not allow different breeds of bulldogs.
Farmington will not have a trap, spay or neuter, and release policy when it comes to feral cats, according to Tennant. Some cities do provide this service but the consensus was not to deal with feral cats that way, he said.
"That would be quite an expense to the city to pay for the procedure," he added.
Farmington also is not going to require owners to microchip their animals, as required by some cities.
"The reasoning behind it is that so many people change phone numbers or move and don't update it," Tennant said. "The (chip) is only as accurate as to the owner of the pet and their due diligence in keeping it updated."
24-Hour Hold
Mayor Ernie Penn said the city will continue to take animals to the Washington County Animal Shelter but plans to provide limited overnight stays, around 24 hours, in the future to allow a short period for owners to reclaim their pets.
The city will not hold any animals over a weekend, Penn said.
The city's current maintenance building on Rheas Mill Road will be modified to hold animals after the city moves into its new public works building on Broyles Street, Penn said.
Farmington does not pick up many animals each month but this will provide a humane place for the animals for a temporary hold, Penn said. In addition, the city's animal control officer, Travis Carline, will post photos of any animals picked up on the city's Facebook page and other places to help locate owners.
Scott Harper and his wife, Donna, live in Farmington and administer a Facebook page, Farmington AR Lost & Found Pets, to help with reuniting lost animals and their owners.
"We started the page to keep animals out of the (county) shelter," Harper said. "A lot of people cannot afford it."
Farmington and other small cities contract with Washington County to shelter strays, abandoned or relinquished animals. The county animal shelter charges a $150 impound fee per animal and $10 per day per animal up to three days. If an animal is not reclaimed in three days, it becomes the property of the county shelter.
If a stray dog or cat, without any identification, is picked up by the city's animal control officer and taken to the county shelter, the owner must first go to City Hall to pay all fees, including the shelter impound fee, and purchase a city license. This receipt of payment is required before the county shelter will release the dog or cat to the owner.
Harper said many people cannot afford $180 to redeem their animal from the county shelter. He recommends the city hold stray animals for at least three days to help out owners, along with posting photos on his Lost and Found Facebook page and the city's Facebook page.
Harper said he also believes the city should be willing to hold stray animals over the weekend.
"That's when it's needed the most," Harper said, pointing out someone may be out of town over a weekend and will not realize their pet is missing until they get home.
Most Not Redeemed
Brenda Coleman, city administrative assistant, receives most of the calls at City Hall about stray animals. A majority of the time, no one comes in to pay the county shelter fees to be able to pick up their animals, Coleman said.
"We have a lot of strays and a lot of animals that are dumped off," Coleman said. "Every once in a while someone will come in and claim one."
For the month of April, for instance, Carline took four dogs to the shelter. Coleman said no one paid shelter fees to pick up any of the dogs.
For the past two years, the city paid $11,245 to the shelter in 2017 and $11,500 in 2018.
Tammy Hart with the county shelter said most cities in the county handle fees like Farmington does. To release dogs or cats, the shelter must have a receipt of payment from the city.
Two cities, Tontitown and Goshen, do not make owners pay the shelter impound fee to pick up their animals.
"They eat the costs," Hart said.
However, pet owners in Goshen and Tontitown do have to pay the shelter's $20 per day fee to redeem their animals.
Hart said the county shelter also would like for Farmington to be able to hold strays for several days.
"There have been several citizens of Farmington who could not afford this and they can't get their dogs," Hart said.
In one instance, an older woman's dog was brought to the shelter. This was a dog well taken care of but she could not afford to get her dog out, Hart said, adding, "It is a shame."
Proposed Regulations
The regulations include many sections, starting with general provisions and definitions.
The city will continue to require owners to purchase an annual license and tag for their pets. It is the responsibility of the owner to make sure the tag is attached to an animal's collar.
For minimum care, all dogs and domesticated animals shall have access to a dry shelter with protection from extreme temperatures and precipitation. Pens or structures cannot be a nuisance to neighbors and must be cleaned regularly to prevent odors.
Animals must be provided clean water and food and have sufficient space to stay in good condition.
Owners will be allowed to have a total of five animals, five adult dogs or five adult cats or a combination, unless restrictions apply because of subdivision and lease agreements.
Livestock will be permitted in the following zones: agriculture, residential estate and residential estate districts. The regulations spell out specific restrictions for livestock.
The sale of domestic animals along the rights-of-way of streets and roadways is prohibited. The possession, maintenance and keeping of wild animals also is prohibited.
All dogs and cats must be vaccinated against rabies and are required to wear a metal tag showing evidence of the vaccination.
The animal control regulations also have sections that apply to retail pet stores, kennels, transportation of animals, animals running at large, vicious animals, enforcement and penalty provisions.
General News on 05/08/2019