City council addresses quality of life for animals

The Newton City Council has taken the next steps to improve the quality of life for animals by passing an amendment, which will among several items, defines the standard of care for domestic animals on Monday.

Approved on the third reading, the ordinance amendment was created in partnership with the Newton Police Department and Jasper County Animal Rescue League to continue the city’s efforts of the past two years to ensure a high level of control and quality of life for animals in Newton.

The amendments touch on three categories of the ordinance — standard of care, animals in motor vehicles and vicious and problematic dogs.

Standard of Care

“(Previously), the city did not detail the standard of care animals, excluding livestock, should have within the city limits,” interim city administrator Jarrod Wellik said. “The lack of an ordinance makes it problematic for the JCARL and NPD to enforce issues as it relates to proper housing, food, water, sanitation and medical care.”

The additions to the standard of care includes:

• Providing adequate food, shelter and water for an animal. No person keeping an animal is to abandon any such animal.

• Provide adequate food, at intervals appropriate for the species, a quantity of wholesome food ingredients, suitable for the physical condition and age of the animal, served in a clean receptacle or container, sufficient to maintain an adequate level of nutrition for such animal.

• Provide reasonable access to a supply of clean, fresh, potable water, provided in a sanitary manner. If potable water is not accessible to the animal at all times, it is to be provided daily, for such duration and of sufficient quantity as appropriate for the species.

• Provide adequate shelter for such animal when it is kept outdoors, tangle-free, which means a structurally sound, weather-proof, properly ventilated shelter, which provides access to shade from direct sunlight and regress from exposure to weather conditions. The shelter should be appropriate for the particular species and breed.

• Provide adequate shelter for such animal when it is kept indoors, which means a properly ventilated and illuminated facility, sufficiently regulated by heating or cooling to protect the animal from extremes of temperature, and to provide for its health and comfort. It should be appropriate for the particular species and breed.

• Provide adequate sanitation that includes periodic cleaning or sanitizing of housing facilities and any area where the animal is confined or restrained, to remove excreta and other waste materials and dirt, so as to minimize vermin infestation, odors and disease hazards.

• Provide adequate space, which means primary enclosures and housing facilities be constructed and maintained so as to provide sufficient space to allow each animal to make normal postural and social adjustments with adequate freedom of movement to maintain physical condition.

• Provide adequate veterinary care, which means that a sick, diseased or injured animal be provided with a proper program of care by a veterinarian, or humanely euthanized. All animals will be provided with proper immunizations and preventive health care including parasite control.

Animals in Motor Vehicles

When presenting to city council during the first reading of the ordinance, Police Chief Rob Burdess spoke about the issue of animals left in vehicles during extreme conditions.

“We do a get a few calls on this every year,” Burdess said. “We do have some that are in a gray area where you can see the animal is labored but is not dying, so this really takes care of the gray area.”

With the new amendment, animal owners would be prohibited from leaving their pets within a vehicle during extreme heat or cold without proper ventilation or other protections from the elements. The ordinance would give the police department, fire department or JCARL the right to forcibly enter a vehicle and remove the animal if it was deemed the life or safety of the animal was in jeopardy as a result of being left within the vehicle. Neither the city or JCARL would be liable for any damage caused by the removal of the animal and veterinary care or impound fees would be the responsibility of the animal owner.

Vicious and Problematic Dogs

Since the last version of the vicious and problematic dog ordinance was enacted in fall of 2014, 12 dogs have been declared problematic and six dogs have been deemed vicious. There has also been two vicious animals hearings, both occurring in 2016.

Burdess said the new ordinance has been very helpful but suggested changes to better suit the needs of the city and animal owners after two years in the new system. Those changes adopted include raising the number of times a dog is at-large to four within 12 months before it is declared problematic, an increase from two times at-large previously.

Burdess also recommended removing himself or a police designee from the Animal Review Committee. The three-member board would then consist of a member of the public, an animal professional and a city employee, removing any appearance of favoritism or a biased from the committee.

Contact Jamee A. Pierson at 641-792-3121 ext. 6534 or jpierson@newtondailynews.com