Ordinance to Limit Pets Dropped From Cedar Falls City Council Agenda

A a residence could have without a kennel license has been dropped from tonight's agenda.

Mayor Jon Crews said public comments and the concerns of some council members led to the decision to put the measure on hold.

Instead, the council will vote on amending the city's existing pet nuisance ordinance.

"There was a lot of discussion to say, do we need the other one?" Crews said. "A lot of citizens contacted us. If the nuisance ordinance appears to work, we may not need the other one."

The kennel ordinance would have limited households to three or less cats or dogs without a kennel license. Kennel license-holders would have to live in specially zoned areas.

Crews had said the measure was intended to prevent animal nuisance problems.

Under the amendments to the nuisance ordinance up for consideration, cats or dogs found running free and impounded three or more times in two years will not be released to their owners.

Also:

It shall be unlawful for the owner of a dog or cat to permit or allow the dog or cat to cause serious annoyance or disturbance to a person by frequent and habitual howling, whining, yelping or barking.

(b)    It shall be unlawful for the owner of a dog or cat to permit or allow the dog or cat to howl, whine, yelp, bark, or otherwise make noise for more than fifteen (15) minutes in duration (whether consecutive or not) in any twenty-four (24) hour
period within the city.

Adequate veterinary care. It shall be the duty of each owner or keeper of an animal to provide the animal with adequate veterinary care, which shall mean that a sick, diseased, or injured animal shall be provided with a proper program of care that is recommended by a veterinarian, or shall be humanly euthanized. Each animal shall be provided with proper immunizations, proper flea control measures, and proper preventive health care, including parasite control.

(c)    Cleaning and grooming. It shall be the duty of each owner or keeper of an animal to keep the animal clean, and to provide proper grooming as appropriate for the species.

The city council meeting will be tonight, Aug. 27, at City Hall, 220 Clay Street, at 7:30 p.m.