The City of Aurora is hosting a public information meeting on Tuesday, October 16 regarding several proposed changes to the city’s animal laws. The stated purpose of the changes is to “Create a superior quality of life for residents” and make the city “a desirable place to live and work.”
These changes include limiting a resident to owning or harboring three dogs of any age, except one litter of puppies whelped on the premises, and removing the fancier’s permit that allowed hobbyists and exhibitors to own more dogs.
Aurora residents are strongly encouraged to attend the meeting and express your concerns with these proposed changes. This is your opportunity to advise the city before problematic changed could be made. Here are the meeting details:
Tuesday, October 16, 2018
6:00pm
Aurora Municipal Center
2nd Floor, City Café
15151 E. Alameda Parkway
Aurora, CO
Full details and a link to the proposed changes can be found here. The meeting will begin with a presentation and then there will be breakout groups to allow residents the opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback. This feedback will then be provided to the City Council.
Summary:
The city is proposing many changes to its animal control laws. Some changes are positive, such as now requiring a warrant for inspections and clarifying that only the portion of the property directly relating to the charges can be inspected. One section also makes it illegal for any person to intentionally misrepresent a service animal in order to obtain certain privileges reserved for those with legitimate service animals. Another change clarifies that for an animal to be declared a public nuisance, it must display a habitual behavior that endangers the health, safety, or welfare of the community or animal.
Other changes, however, are very troublesome:
- Lowering ownership limits and removing fancier’s permit: Current law prohibits anyone from keeping more than three dogs over 4 months of age on the premises, and only one litter of puppies up to 4 months of age. Exceptions are made for licensed kennels (which are not permitted as a home-based business), pet shops, shelters, and those who have a fancier’s permit. This permit allowed those with AKC-registered dogs to keep up to 6 intact dogs (or 8 if at least two are actively being shown at a current AKC show), in addition to one litter up to 6 months of age.The proposed changes would remove this exemption and only allow someone to keep or harbor up to three dogs of any age, except for one litter up to 4 months of age. The exemption for fanciers is removed.An intact animal permit, which is already required to keep unsterilized dogs, would be required prior to whelping a litter (this replaces the current litter permit requirement).
For talking points and handouts on the problems with limit laws, visit our key issues page in the AKC Legislative Action Center.
- Further strengthening “bond for care” laws for those accused of cruelty: Current law already requires someone accused of cruelty to pay every 30 days for the care of animals seized during an ongoing investigation and trial. The proposed changes clarify that now there must also be at least a 30-day advance fee balance maintained, or the animals must be surrendered to the city.Read AKC’s article Guilty Until Proved Innocent? How “Bond for Care” Bills Hurt Disadvantaged Dog Owners for more information and talking points on this issue.
AKC is continuing to closely monitor this proposal and will provide updates as available. If you attend the meeting, please share your experience with AKC Government Relations and let us know of any feedback you receive. You may contact AKC GR at doglaw@akc.org.