Image from Shutterstock.
The number of pets you can have at home will be cut in half, if proposed reforms are approved Tuesday by the Lubbock City Council.
An exception will be made for people who get a “multi-pet permit.”
Currently people can have up to four dogs and four cats for a total of eight. That’ll be reduced to a total of four if the new ordinance is approved.
Updated story link: City won’t lower number of pets, for now, after comments from concerned citizens
Highlights of the new ordinance and budget proposal
- Limits the number of pets in any residence to four.
- Allows exceptions with a multi-pet permit (explained further below).
- Raises liability insurance requirement to $1 million for a dangerous dog.
- Eliminates money for the city’s grant for fence repair, putting that money toward an additional animal control officer.
In early December, the council expressed displeasure with Animal Control Services – learning people might wait eight months or more to surrender a dog. The council pointed to two deadly dog attacks in Lubbock and citizen complaints that too many dogs were loose on the streets.
Director Steven Greene told LubbockLights.com shortly after that meeting his staff would likely need to euthanize more dogs – an outcome he hoped to avoid despite an overcrowded shelter.
Previous coverage: More dogs expected to be put down by city amid hike in dog attacks
Jennifer Wilson, Councilwoman for District 5, and David Glasheen, Councilman for District 3, cosponsored the proposal.
“I don’t think it addresses every single concern. … I think we implement change and then we can see over the next four to six months if that is beneficial,” Wilson said.
The multi-pet permit
The city already has a multi-pet permit which will be adjusted for people who currently have more than four pets.
“We don’t want to penalize, currently, people who already have more than four, because that’s a big transition to go from owning eight to owning four,” Wilson said.
“As long as there’s no issue – you’re not one of those owners with dangerous dogs or who keeps violating ordinances, then you can continue to own those,” Wilson added.
The proposed ordinance:
Much of this language already exists in the city code, but there are changes for the number of pets. The clarification that a multi-pet cannot be used by breeders is new.
“Any persons desiring to maintain at a residence more than the maximum number of dogs and cats allowed by [city ordinance] may apply with the director of animal services for a multipet permit. The applicant shall pay an application fee at the time of filing.”
“The director of animal services may issue a permit only after the premises inspection determines compliance with the animal services regulations. A permit shall not be issued if it is found that the animals cannot be maintained without creating noise or odor nuisances otherwise being detrimental to the public health, safety and welfare, or in a healthy or sanitary environment.”
“A multipet permit is separate and distinct from a breeder’s permit … and a holder of a multipet permit is not permitted to breed such animals without first obtaining a breeder’s permit.”
The fee is currently $40 and is not changed by the new ordinance.
The permit is good for two years and can be renewed. The household cannot have any violations of Lubbock’s animal ordinances for the previous two years. And the city must inspect the house before granting the permit.
There’s a subtle change for dogs or cats that have babies.
“If you have a litter, you can have them with you at no risk of violating the ordinance until they’re 16 weeks old,” Wilson said.
Under the new proposal, it changes from 16 weeks to four months.
New job at the shelter and no fence grants
The proposal comes alongside a budget amendment. It gets rid of the grant for mending backyard fences, currently more than $70,000 set aside, and reassigns that money to a new full-time position at Animal Control Services.
“It would be enough to fund them for the rest of the year on this budget year without having to shift any money around the general fund,” Wilson said.
“Having somebody there – especially on weekend times, because that’s when people tend to stop and pick these animals up. Good humans pick these animals up and bring them in. And we’re having to tell them ‘no,’ because we don’t have anybody there to take them in,” Wilson said.
Wilson expects some opposition to cutting money for fence repair.
In December, Greene explained to the council that broken fences contribute to the problem of stray dogs.
His department currently offers grants to cover the cost of materials (but not labor) to repair fences. This helps people keep their pets from escaping backyards and getting out into the streets.
Mayor Pro-tem Christy Martinez Garcia spoke in favor of the fence program during the December council meeting.
“Let’s talk about the fence program that has been incredibly successful,” she said then.
In response, Greene told the council, “It’s been very successful just this fiscal year. We’ve had 20 families helped with that.”
Wilson addressed the concern, saying, “Owning a pet is not a right.”
Those who cannot afford fence repair maybe cannot afford pets, she added.
“I think there will always be those people that are looking for – I hate to say it that way – but free money to be able to do things,” Wilson said.
Insurance requirement
The proposed reform also quadruples the liability insurance requirement to $1 million for anyone who has a dangerous dog. Currently the requirement is $250,000.
A dangerous dog is defined as “an unrestrained, unprovoked dog that causes bodily injury to a domestic animal, human or fowl off its property.”
“This has been something that citizens have asked for, and it is a public safety concern. So, we’re trying to find good tools to be able to address this,” Wilson said.
Please click here to support Lubbock Lights.
Comment, react or share on our Facebook post.
Facebook