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INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 6970
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��VORJ�p To the Mayor and Members of the City Council September 25, 1984
r reXry. Subject: PROPOSED AMENDED ANIMAL CONTROL ORDINANCE
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Several months ago, the City Council directed the City staff to prepare
amendments to the animal control ordinance to prohibit the keeping of
exotic animals in the City limits of Fort Worth. Subsequent to this
directive, the staff encountered another problem with the hearing
process for disposing of animals suspected of rabies.
In addition, the staff wanted to use this opportunity to upgrade the
current ordinance to conform to State law. Once the original draft
ordinance was complete a series of public hearings were held to obtain
input from the public and special interest groups. Throughout this
entire process, the staff worked closely with the Humane Society in
order to incorporate changes they wanted in the proposed ordinance.
The major changes are listed below:
Prohibits keeping wild and exotic animals except by zoos,
education/scientific organizations, publicly-owned nature
centers, and those held under Federal and State license.
° Establishes provisions for special licensing of guard dogs and
provides for signage where guard dogs are used.
Requires that dogs be kept under restraint at all times as
well as prohibits dogs from being taken into places of public
assembly unless the dog is muzzled.
Authorizes the Director of Health to inspect animals and their
premises.
Establishes a license fee of $2 for each neutered dog and $10
for each dog that is not neutered.
Requires a licensed veterinarian to vaccinate all dogs and
cats over four months of age.
Provides for quarantine or laboratory examination of animals
that have bitten or attacked a person.
° Requires veterinarians to submit to the Director of Public
Health a list of persons whose dogs and cats have been
vaccinated for rabies.
Provides for impoundment of animals not kept under restraint,
dogs without tags or license, animals that pose a threat to
public safety or constitute a public nuisance, and vicious or
prohibited animals.
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS �—
INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 6970 - p.2
T!q,O
�oftoRT�p To the Mayor and Members of the City Council September 25, 1984
�TExPy
Subject: PROPOSED AMENDED ANIMAL CONTROL ORDINANCE
Provides for disposition of unclaimed animals through adop-
tion, transfer to a humane society, use by the City, or other
humane disposition or destruction.
Staff is of the opinion that the proposed ordinance is consistent with
the Council directive and conforms with the requirements of the State
law. 'There is one provision that the Humane Society wanted included in
the ordinance but it was rejected by the staff. The Humane Society
wanted to include specific language to prohibit the selling of impounded
animals for research purposes.
Since we do not sell animals for research purposes now, staff does not
believe this provision is necessary.
Annually, the Animal Control staff handles several thousand dogs and
cats. From October 1983 to August 1984, 9,606 dogs and cats were ixm -
pounded. Of this number, only 929 have been released to their owner and
728 have been released to the Humane Society for adoption or to be
destroyed. The remaining 7,949 animals were destroyed at the City faci-
lity, a majority of which were destroyed by Humane Society representa-
tives.
Fbllowing discussion by the City Council, the staff will prepare an M&C
to adopt the proposed ordinance.
Additional information will be provided upon request.
Robert L. Herchert
City Manager
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[ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS �—