HomeMy WebLinkAbout50-Animal Control
,
CITCF SAN BEANARDItC) - REQUOST FOR COUNCIL AtOlON
From: Deborah L, Biggs
Dept: Animal Control
Date: July 18, 1988
Subject: Cat LiAAlS'ngA~fJi.
1988 Jll. 19 PM 3: 42
Synopsis of Previous Council action:
5-5-88: Legislative Review Committee postponed a decision on the proposal
pending public input
5-16-88: Mayor and Council recommended dog licensing revisions, adding year
to date and multi-year licensing.
6-23-88: Legislat~ve Review Committee recommended the cat licensing proposed
as outlined in the Staff re2ort.
7-5-88: Mayor and Council set a public hearing for August I, 1988 at
9:30 am for the cat licensing proposal
Recommended motion:
Adopt ordinance
~~c{~
Contact panon:
Deborah L, Biggs
Phone:
5275
Supporting data etteched:
Yes
Ward:
FUNDING REQUIREMENTS:
Amount:
Source: (ACCT. NO.)
(ACCT. DESCRIPTION)
Finance:
Council Notes:
15.0212
Agenda Item No, ~~, -
.
'CITV'bF SAN BERf\1ARDINO~ REGaJJlEB FO~ COUb'-!lCBL ACTI~~
STAFF REPORT
The City of, San Bernardino Animal Control Shelter cares for thousands of stray, lost, and un-
wanted animals each year, More than one-third of the animals received are cats, yet the
Department receives revenue only from dog licensing, As economic times worsen, the shelter
finds it di ffi cult to j usti fy expendi ng funds on cats when the mai n source of income is from
dogs, Meanwhile, citizens are becoming less tolerant of increasing numbers of stray cats in
their neighborhoods, and are scream.ing for mandatory regulations of cats, Dog owners demand
that cat owners pay their fair share of the burden for Animal Control.
The State of California does not r~quire mandatory rabies vaccinations for cats, however cats
also carry and are capable of transmitting rabies. The City of San Bernardino is included
under declariltion as a "Rabies Area" by the State of California, Department of Health Services,
Of all rabies cases from Jilnuilry 1 to October 14, 19B7 in California dogs and cats, 40% were
cats. From 1981-1986 (inclusive), 57,67%'of confirmed rabies cases' in d09s/cats were CiltS.
If the City requires licensing on cats, a rabies vaccination wouldbe required as well,
A licensing program already exists for dogs-ca'ts would be added by ordinance, At the same
time, some restrictions on cats could also be included, such as the number of cats allowed
per household, An estimated 29.4% of.households own an average of 2,16 cats each, That
translates into 33,728 owned cats in the City of San Bernardino. If the same percentage of
cats are licensed as compared to dogs, the revenue generated could be in excess of $200,000
per year.
IMPACT: In order to have an effecti.ve license checking. team to include cats, staff is re-
cOllunending the addition of two license checkers. The implimentation of restrictions on cats
will create the need for additional field enforcement of violations, delivery of cat traps,
impoundment of cats, and addi.tional complaint follow-up. One Animal Control Officer is
reconullended. Total .salary and benefits for the above three positions is estimated at
$56,551.00. Additional license tags and cat traps is estimated at $1,250,00. Total expenses
first year: $57,801,00. First year revenue is based on 30% of cats licensed. Citations for
violations will not be issued until 1-1-89.
First year revenue:
First year expenses
Net revenue .
CAT LICENSING
$116,357.50
. '(57,80~,~0)
$ 58,55 . 0
PRO POSAL
1. All cats. four months of age or older are to be vaccinated against rabies in i1ccordance with
current California Code.
2. All cats four months of age or.older must be licensed and wear the license tag .at all times,
3. Any cat found running at large without a lIcense may be impounded,
4. It will be unla\1ful to own more than three cats over the .age of four /IIonths. Staff will
"grandfather", by permit, those residents who have over three, for a period of ninety days
after the ordinance takes effect. 'T~is permit, for whi!=h there is no charge, shall be
renewed each year, untill attrition has reduced the number of cats to.three. All cats
owned by the resident must be licensed annually in order to qualify for the permit.
5. The license fees shall be the same for cats as for dogs. They are:
Unaltered $16,00
*Altered 6,50
Senior Citizen** 5.00
Transfer 3,00
**Owner must be 60 years of age or older; cat must be altered,
*(note: Altered fee will increase to $7.00 if approved, per Ways and. Means ComnIittee
June 27, 1988) :
All..-;' A GS"i( .
DEBORAH L. BIGGS
Di rector of Ani ma 1 Control
9~.~{~ls
.
o
o
o
o
1
2 ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO AMENDING SECTIONS
6.24.010 THROUGH 6.24.060; AND 6.24.170 THROUGH 6.24.180; ADDING
3 SECTION 6.24.190 AND REPEALING SECTION 6.24.080 OF THE SAN
BERNARDINO MUNICIPAL CODE LIMITING THE NUMBER OF CATS PERMITTED;
4 REQUIRING A LICENSING FEE FOR CATS; PROHIBITING CATS RUNNING A~'
LARGE WITHOUT TAGS; AND REQUIRING THE VACCINATION OF CATS.
5
ORDINANCE NO.
THE MAYOR AND COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO
6 DO ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
7
SECTION 1.
Section 6.24.010 of the San Bernardino
8 Municipal Code is amended to read as follows:
9
10
11
12
13
14
"6.24.010
Number of dogs and cats pernoi tted.
It is unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to oWP,
harbor or keep on or at any lot, premises or place more than
three dogs and/or three cats which are four or more months of
age, except as Day be permitted by the provisiop of Title 19."
SECTION 2.
Section 6.24.020 of the San Bernardino
15 Municipal Code is amended to read as follows:
16 "6.24.020 License required.
17 It is unlawful for any person, firn, or corporation to own
18 or harbor any dog or cat within the City, except as provided ip
19 this chapter, without securing a license therefor, and
20 aintaining a tag thereon, as specified in this chapter."
21 SECTION 3. Section 6.24.030 of the San Bernardino
22 unicipa1 Code is amended to read as follows:
23
24
"6.24.030
License and tag required - Fees
A. Each person, firm or corporation owning, harboring or
25 aving custody or control of a dog or cat of the age of four
26 lonths or more, within the City shall obtaip at least annually Cl
27 icense and tag for the dog or cat. License and tag fees Clre
28
1
~:nl~'
/19/88
,
Q
o
o
o
1 payable in advance. If the appropriate fee is not paid when due,
2 a delinquency penalty shall be added to the fee. A fee shall be
3 charged for any additional tag issued to replace a lost, stolen,
4 misplaced or damaged tag and shall be charged for the transfer of
5 ownership of a licensed dog or cat to a new owner in lieu of a
6 fee for a new license for the remainder of the licensing period
7 in which the transfer occurs. If a dog or cat has a current
8 license from another licensing jurisdiction and has a current
9 rabies vaccination, said license shall be recognized by the City
10 upon a payment of a transfer fee.
11 B. If any person, firm or corporation acquires the
12 ownership, custody or control of a dog or a cat the new owr,er
13 shall obtain the license required by this title ",ithin one n!onth
14 after acquiring the ownership, custody or control of such dog or
15 cat, if the dog or cat is then of the age of four months, or
16 within one month after such dog or cat attains the age of four
17 months. The license shall expire the same month as the month the
18 rabies vaccination was issued. The first license fee for a dog
19 or cat may be pro-rated so to expire at the same time as the
20 rabies vaccination expires.
21 C. Moneys received during the current year for a license
22 shall be first applied to the payment of delinquent fees, sums
23 and penalties due during the preceding year, and any balance
24 remaining thereafter shall be applied to the payment of thE'
25 current license fees and penalties."
26 "6.24.040 License - Application.
27
28
2
M:mw
/19/88
.
o
o
o
o
1
2
"6.24.040 l,icense - Application.
No license to own or harbor a dog or cat as provided in
3 this chapter, shall be issued except upon an application to
4 authorized employees of the City setting forth the name and
5 address of the owner, or possessor of the dog or cat and a brief
6 description of the dog or cat."
7 SECTION 5. Section 6.24.050 of the San Bernardino
8 Municipal Code is amended to read as follows:
"6.24.050 License - Issuance.
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Authorized employees of the City, upon the receipt of such
application and the license fee aforesaid, shall issue and
deliver to such owner or possessor a license certifying the
payment of the license fee, and setting forth the name and
address of the applicant and a brief description of the dog or
cat and the number allotted to such dog or cat, and upon receipt
of the requisite fees, shall deliver to the applicant a tag which
shall set forth the date of the license, and the nuwber allotted
to such dog or cat, which tag shall at all times be affixed to
the collar, harness or other article worn by such dog or cat
provided however no license for a dog or cat shall be issued
21 unless the owner shall have paid the license fee required
22 therefor and shall have exhibited to authorized employees of the
23 city a certificate of vaccination of the dog or cat signed by
24 duly licensed veterinarian."
25 SECTION 6. Section 6.24.060 of the San Bernardino
26 unicipa1 Code is amended to read as follows:
27 "6.24.060 Running at large without license or tag -
Impoundment.
28
3
M:mw
/19/88
o
o
o
.:J
1 Every dog or cat found running at larse for which a license
2 has not been issued, or which does not bear a tag as provided in
3 this chapt.er, shall be impounded by authorized employees of the
4 city for a period of seventy-two hours, and in the event the
5 owner or possessor of the dog or cat does not, on or before the
6 expiration of the seventy-two hour period, call for and claim the
7 dog or cat., and pay the required license fee, obtain a tag, and
8 pay the SUITI required by resolution, the dog or cat shall be
9 disposed of by authorized employees of the city.
10 Section 7. Section 6.24.080 of the San Bernardino
11 Municipal Code is hereby repealed in its entirety.
Section 8. Section 6.24.170 of the San Bernardino
12
13
14
15 A. Each person, firm or corporation who owns or harbors
16 any dog or cat over the age of four months in the City shall have
17 such dog or cat vaccinated against rabies by a duly licensed
18 eterinarian of his choice or at a vaccination clinic approved by
19 Such vaccination shall be by an injection
20 been approved by the health officer and given at
21 intervals specified by California State Law.
22 B. Upon vaccinating any dog or cat pursuant to this
23 hapter, the veterinarian shall issue a certificate of
24 accination, which shall show the expiration date of the
25 accination."
26 Section 9. Section 6.24.180 of the San Bernardino
27 unicipal Code is amended to read as follows:
28
Municipal Code is amended to read as follows:
"6.24.170 Vaccination requirement - Certificat.e
4
M:mw
/19/88
c
o
o
o
1 R6.24.l80 Vaccination requirement.
2 It is unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to ow~
3 or harbor any dog or cat which has not bee~ vaccinated as
4 required by and in the manner set forth in Section 6.24.170."
5 Section 10. Section 6.29.190 of the San Bernardino
6 Municipal Code is added to read as follows:
7 "6.24.190 Keeping cats in excess of three.
8 A. Any person, firm or corporation owning, harboring or
9 keeping more than three cats which are four or more months of
10 age, except as permitted by Title 19 of this Code, shall apply
11 for a no fee permit within ninety (90) days of the effective date
12 of this ordinance. This permit shall be issued by the Director
13 of Animal Control or an authorized employee upon satisfactory
14 proof of ownership of the number of cats and shall be renewed on
15 an annual basis.
16 B. No person shall be permitted to replace a cat or cats
17 until the total number of cats owned, harbored or kept is less
18 than three. Replacement shall conform to Chapter 6.24 of this
19 Code."
20
21
~
~
24
25
26
27
28
5
LM:mw
7/19/88
1
2 adopted by the Mayor and Common Council of the City of San
3
4 the __.___ day of
5
o
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14 of
15
16
17
~
o
o
o
I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing ordinance was duly
Bern.ardino at a
meeting thereof, held on
, 1988, by the
following vote, to wit:
AYES:
_.- - - _. - - - - ---_.- _._-- - - - - - . . - - .. - - - - _. - - --- - .. - - -
-- --- .. --- -_. _.- -- _.- -- --.--.' -~--, - _.' -... - - ----..- --- - -- - .' - - -
NAYS:
-----..-..------.-- -.. - - - - - -- -_.... _.. ---- --_._._-_._.. -----_..-
ABSENT:
- .----._..------_._--- .'.. - _.__._~.- _._-_._- -------------. - - -..- - - -
-_.._._--- - -_.- .._..-.. .... -- _..- ....-.
City Clerk
The foregoing ordinance is hereby approved this
day
_________n__' 1988.
------_... - - - - _.- - - - - - -- ----_.... -..--
EVLYN WILCOX, Mayor
City of San Bernardino
18 Approved as to form
and legal content:
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
6
LM:mw
7/19/88