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Read comments (16)Come Jan., 1 Le Mars dogs and cats over 6 months old will need a license and a metal identification tag.
Le Mars City Council members gave a new city pet ordinance its final approval Tuesday with a 4-1 vote.
Councilman Rex Knapp, the lone opponent of the ordinance, repeated his opposition Tuesday to the new code requirement.
"I'm against any additional government legislative actions because I think we're getting too big with government rules," Knapp said.
"In addition, I don't think we're going to get enough people to pay the license fees to pay for the enforcement we want to do. I also don't think the veterinary people are getting paid enough for their services."
The pet licensing is seen as a means to reunite lost pets with their owners as well as provide the city with revenue necessary for a part-time contract pet control officer. Any excess revenue could be used for a future dog park.
Council members have agreed meanwhile, to delay final decision on the control officer's position, projected to cost $6,000 to $7,000, pending evaluation of initial proceeds from the new licensing.
The licensing ordinance will apply to all dogs and cats 6 months and older with required verification of the animals' current rabies vaccination.
The fee is $6 for neutered or spayed pets and $12 for non-neutered or non-spayed pets. Licenses will be available from local veterinarians.
Pet owners violating the new ordinance could face a $25 along with boarding costs for any pets brought in by police or animal control personnel. Boarding costs are $10 per day for large dogs, $8 a day for smaller dogs and cats.
"I think it's a good ordinance and a step in the right direction," Councilman Ken Nelson said Tuesday.
Nelson, a member of the licensing review committee along with Councilwoman Delana Ihrke, city staff, and local veterinarians, said they are hopeful all pet owners will comply with the new ordinance.
"We see the ordinance not only enabling the city to have someone out there to retrieve missing or lost animals, but as one allowing citizens to get their pets back in an orderly fashion without having to pay a big fine," Nelson said.
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First of all, A sincere thanks to Rex Knapp for not being afraid to go against the grain.
Second, City Council, I think the LMPD has better things to do than to chase stray dogs.
I think a major increase in the fine is what is needed to take care of the stray pet issues.
Good job Knapp.
Justanoutsider - Welcome to Le Mars. Things are done here for a reason. I grew up there and lived there for 19 years. My extended family still lives there. With all the first hand Le Mars "experience" I still do not know what most of the reasoning is.
Build an indoor pool in the school that is not regulation size needed to have a swim team, tear it out, build another indoor pool that leaks. Put paving stones at an intersection of a state highway without all the ducks in a row from the state instead of using decorative concrete that would have looked nice, lasted longer, AND not have any issues from the state engineers.
These are just a few examples of past gaffes from the higher-ups in Le Mars.
I sincerely do welcome you to Le Mars. Despite all the silly issues that you would find in any town of its size it is a wonderful place to live and go to school.
Also, my kuddos to councilman Knapp for standing up for the people. Less meddling and more common sense!
Oh my! I have lived here for over ten years and as you can see from my login name, I am still feeling like an outsider. None of my dogs have ever gotten out of our fence without us getting them back ourselves. One of my dogs has a micro chip and the others wear their rabies tags which identifies them to the vet so "retrieval" would likely not be a problem. When we see a stray dog, we have called their owners (and this has happened twice) and they have been returned quickly and easily - at no extra charge because they were wearing tags with a name and/or a phone number. It is what good dog owners do. Now for cats... Oh my! I am not even going to go there. But do I see a loophole? I will get fined if one of my dogs gets picked up for not having a tag. If they are never out of their yard, they won't get picked up. I wonder if the vets will make us feel that we HAVE TO get this license - or is this just a "suggestion". Rex Knapp is right when he says "I don't think we are going to get enough people to pay the license fees..." or did I misunderstand that statement, Rex? Thank you, Rex, for trying to stand up against this issue. As for picking up the occasional woodchuck or whatever we find wandering our streets - who will be fined because they are picked up and are not properly tagged? One more question - Do council members ever read these responses???
Just what city do you live in with the "keep up the good work councilpeople"? Take a look at the present council and do you really believe they have the people's interest in mind?
Keep up the good work Councilmembers.
If your not happy with our local government, run for local office. I'm sure you will find that the Council Members have a thankless job and they can't seem to do anything right, even when they do the right things.
This animal control issue is not that big of a deal. First off, most of us animal owners are responsible, and if I need to pay a small lic fee, so be it. Its all part of being a responsible citizen.
The ordinances are intented to curb those who are not responsible. Lic fees and fines for animals at large are needed. If anything, I think the City should look into steeper fines for those owners who let their animals run at large.
And finally, I doubt you will see our local police department chasing cats. They are not dog or cat catchers, they are police officers. I hope the city looks into replacing the animal control officer they eliminated last year.
Oh give me a break! As if the hard working guys at the Le Mars PD don't already have enough to do!
3 of the 4 nimrods in the city council have done it again!
I hope the PD gets a new phone number, as my neighbor to the east will wear out a phone calling them to tell them my pets are not licensed!
Come on city council, use your energies to fix some of the craters in the streets from last winter, that have been yet to be fixed!!!
The city of LeMars doesn't have an ordinance concerning cats running loose. The city ordinance only concerns dogs at large. You can call about cats all you want but it may be a wasted phone call. When LeMars did have an animal control officer he would occasionally help trap problem cats but he wasn't required to. And before you get mad at the police department please remember they don't make the ordinances they only enforce them.
Another ordinance passed but will there be a gray areas concerned like every other ordinance they have passed therefore making it another joke. Get rid of the stray cats and see how many rodents you will have roaming the streets. Should be more concerned about keeping this council and city staff under control. I've got a dog smarter than any of the above. We've got six junk yard ordinances, one for every junk yard. City that is forward looking maybe put in another walking trail.
"We see the ordinance not only enabling the city to have someone out there to retrieve missing or lost animals, but as one allowing citizens to get their pets back in an orderly fashion without having to pay a big fine," Nelson said.
So they are doing away with the current penalty and making all owners pay for strays and runaways. Or that is still in force just not mentioned. I dare to bet that those dogs or cats that continually wonder off and end up at the Vet clinic are or tend to be the same animals and have the same owners. The current system is $25 as the fine and $10 a day kennel fee. I have owned pets in this town for over 14 years and to this date have never once had to get my pet out of jail. So the council feels it fair to charge all for the few. Similar to the new sewage rate personal sewage rate 20% up yet others only 5%. WHY????
I saw 4 stray cats just today!!! Good Luck, HA! Instead of worrying about cats and dogs that usually get out and return home on their own maybe focus on our neighbors getting their garages spray painted.. Come on!!!!!! I don't even own a pet and I think this is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard!
The phone lines are going to be very busy with the 5 of us people having so many strays in our neighborhood. I think this is going to be the Police Departments new thing. Instead of all the step programs for drivers it is now going to be Step programs to stop stray pets!
Sorry council part-time, not gonna work. Also what I got out of the story is... They will start enforcing the ordinance Jan 1st but no one there to enforce it? I will make sure and tell my pets to escape monday through friday between 9 and 1 to ensure I will get them back.
HA... I agree with the previous two comments. The amount of cats running around in my neighborhood will keep this part-time officer very busy as well. Rex Knapp has the right idea. How much more can possibly be regulated? You'll need a permit to take a walk down the street next.
Get ready, police department, city hall, and vet offices. Time to cull the herd. Starting January 1 I will call in every stray cat roaming my neighborhood. You're going to be very busy.
Here Le Mars goes again. So the big questions of the day is and who can answer it. When our part time dog policeman is at his regular job (not this one) who picks up the stray when reported by someone in Le Mars? Or does the dog just wait at the nearest fire hydrant for the doggy policeman to nab him? Or does the part time control officer tell his regular boss that he needs to be excused from work to nab a lose dog? Or does the dog know that by having the new tag they are to turn themselves in? Dog park??? Rex Knapp is the only one I can see with the the stamp of approval that says "bull****" or should we say "dogdoodle".