Council considers tougher animal control policy

Springfield City Council held the first reading of a code update that would put teeth in the city’s animal control enforcement.

Katie Towns, director of the Springfield-Greene County Health Department, outlined the changes, which are set for a vote June 8.

“I know that this has been a source of frustration for quite some time, and we have felt that as well,” she said. “I think that the proposal that we have in front of you tonight will bring about some substantive changes.”

Among substantial revisions to Chapter 18 of the city code is a criminal process for reckless owners, defined in the proposed bill as a person who has been issued four citations within a 24-month period or has been determined to have committed animal cruelty.

The reckless owner determination can also occur when a person owns or possesses a dog that has been determined to be vicious, dangerous or restricted and that person has not complied with the requirements of city code. It can also occur if an owner or possessor of an animal that has attacked or bitten a domestic animal or person fails to surrender the dog to animal control or to comply with quarantine requirements.

The proposed code change also restricts those who are found to be reckless owners or those found guilty of animal cruelty from owning or possessing any animal for a period of five years.

The update also would allow a Springfield Municipal Court judge to issue a search and seizure warrant or an order to hold an animal. Such search warrants may only be used to seize animals, according to the proposed code revision.

Each reckless owner violation is to be punished as a separate offense, under the code revision. Punishments for code violations would carry a minimum fine of $400 for each violation. The sentencing judge may also order probation of no less than 720 days plus a minimum of 50 hours of public service.

The proposed code revision would allow a person found guilty of a violation to apply to the director of health to have ownership restrictions waived after three years.

The code revision bill says failure to surrender animals is a criminal violation that will result in prosecution and impoundment of the animal, which can be disposed of through euthanasia or release to a licensed and contracted rescue organization. A dog declared vicious would be euthanized under the proposed code revision, with the owner paying for associated costs.

The proposed ordinance would also disallow obstruction of an animal control officer by persons failing to provide their name or date of birth or by making false or misleading statements about animal ownership.

The revisions City Council is considering also bulk up protections against community exposure to rabies, requiring dogs to display a rabies tag and requiring proof of vaccination upon request when a dog is suspected of biting or scratching a person. The minimum fine for not providing proof of vaccination is at least $200 per violation with the possibility of probation of at least a year and a minimum of 20 hours of community service work. A jail sentence may also be authorized.

The code revision would fine people $50 for each violation of a dog running at large.

Towns said animal numbers are increasing throughout the community, and she said the responsibilities of pet ownership can be hard to follow.

“Owning a pet does require a great deal of time, energy and responsibility, and the disruptions when those things are not followed can be in multitude, including things that affect our individuals in the community and in the neighborhood, threatening safety and mental and physical well-being of our neighborhoods,” she said.

Towns said the purposes of animal control are twofold – first, to focus on safety primarily of humans but also of animals, and second, to control rabies in the community. She noted that rabies exists in the community.

“For us it is important that we make sure that we prioritize this as part of the approach,” she said.

Towns said the animal control program has eight officers serving the entire county, covering 675 square miles, more than 300,000 people and 130,000 households.

“We are hardly ever fully staffed, but we do have a great deal of commitment from the officers who remain, and we’re in the process of looking to hire again now,” she said.

Shelter capacity is 34 kennels for dogs with 19 for cats, though a new facility to open later this summer will offer more capacity.

Towns said the most demanding calls with the highest volume are for loose animals.

“When we are looking at proposing new changes, we are aiming to really interrupt that volume,” she said.

Towns said over 14,000 calls are received per year, and 510 animal bites are investigated. An average of 364 citations are issued. She acknowledged that 364 citations for 14,000 calls is a vast difference.

“With these proposed changes, we do hope to decrease that division,” she said.

Towns said the current minimum fee for a dog at large is $10, to be increased to $50. The revision also relies on citations rather than convictions, and Towns sees that as giving the department more opportunities to control behaviors.

Five community members spoke in support of the ordinance during the public hearing.

Budget bill
Council held the first reading and public hearing of the proposed city budget for fiscal 2027, which begins July 1. A vote is scheduled for June 8.

David Holtmann, director of finance, said the budget is proposed at $560 million, up about $30 million from the current year, with about one-third of the revenue derived from sales and use tax.

He said department heads in the city submitted $40 million worth of budget requests, with about $15 million of that proposed for 90 staff positions. The budget proposes only 2.5 positions and proposes granting $5.6 million of budget requests.