New permits to have extra dogs and cats now available at City Hall
By Lynn Zerschling, Journal staff writer | Posted: Thursday, October 05, 2006
The application documents to keep extra dogs and cats over the legal limit in Sioux City now are available at City Hall, Police Capt. Doug Young announced Wednesday.
"The permit process is relatively easy and provides for input from neighbors prior to the issuance of a permit," he said during the city manager's weekly press conference.
The new pet ordinance adopted by the City Council went into effect Monday and allows residents to own three pets -- two of one species and one of another. The ordinance generally applies to dogs and cats and does not cover livestock or horses, for instance.
The form is available from the Customer Service Center on the first floor at City Hall.
The application requires pet owners to list the name, type and city license tag number for pets already owned. If the pet is not licensed, the pet owner can obtain that license when applying for the permit. The license costs $10 for animals who are neutered or spayed and $30 for those who are not, he said.
Then, the pet owners must obtain signatures of people living within 100 feet of their home. The goal is to make sure people who live next door and across the street from the pet owner is made aware of the request. They can either sign that they approve or disapprove of the request.
"One denial will not necessarily void the permit. It will be sent to Inspection Services for review," Young noted.
When additional pets are approved, those animals also must be licensed. The new law does not place a maximum number of pets that can be owned in the city.
The permit costs $10. That fee is nonrefundable.
"We are looking for voluntary compliance," Young stressed. "This won't actually be enforced until Jan. 1, 2007. We are giving people a grace period. We will be responding to complaints. Inspections Services also will be involved" when the police are called to investigate.
For the first violation of the law, the pet owner could be fined from $100 to $750 for the first offense.
For more information, call the City Clerk's office at 279-6311.
"The permit process is relatively easy and provides for input from neighbors prior to the issuance of a permit," he said during the city manager's weekly press conference.
The new pet ordinance adopted by the City Council went into effect Monday and allows residents to own three pets -- two of one species and one of another. The ordinance generally applies to dogs and cats and does not cover livestock or horses, for instance.
The form is available from the Customer Service Center on the first floor at City Hall.
The application requires pet owners to list the name, type and city license tag number for pets already owned. If the pet is not licensed, the pet owner can obtain that license when applying for the permit. The license costs $10 for animals who are neutered or spayed and $30 for those who are not, he said.
Then, the pet owners must obtain signatures of people living within 100 feet of their home. The goal is to make sure people who live next door and across the street from the pet owner is made aware of the request. They can either sign that they approve or disapprove of the request.
"One denial will not necessarily void the permit. It will be sent to Inspection Services for review," Young noted.
When additional pets are approved, those animals also must be licensed. The new law does not place a maximum number of pets that can be owned in the city.
The permit costs $10. That fee is nonrefundable.
"We are looking for voluntary compliance," Young stressed. "This won't actually be enforced until Jan. 1, 2007. We are giving people a grace period. We will be responding to complaints. Inspections Services also will be involved" when the police are called to investigate.
For the first violation of the law, the pet owner could be fined from $100 to $750 for the first offense.
For more information, call the City Clerk's office at 279-6311.
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ME wrote on Oct 5, 2006 9:27 PM:
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