City adopts change to animal ordinance

Submitted by Casscounty1 on
By Bobby Horn Jr.
 
LINDEN—The City of Linden is clamping down on the number of dogs and cats a resident may own.
Linden City Council approved the request to amend Animal Ordinance #1-95 during a regularly scheduled meeting Feb. 8.
The amendment restricts possession of the animal to “no more than 6 dog or cats combined could be owned or maintained at a Linden City residence (less than one acre) at any time.”
The ordinance also states that those who have a “residence with property” which is defined as “a home or building with one acre or more of land” may exceed the six animal limit “but cannot pose a nuisance to neighboring residences.”
The amendment passed by unanimous vote.
In January, Gary Stevens presented the amendment to council. In his request, he asked that pet owners be restricted to no more than six dogs and cats. Stevens said that in drafting the proposal he contacted several local cities see what ordinances they had in place. By way of example, he said that Hughes Springs sets a limit at four animals.
“I would prefer four, but I think six is a good compromise,” Stevens told council at the time..
Stevens said that he brought the issue forward because he was concerned about not only the noise caused by dogs but sanitation as well. “I am concerned about the future of the community. I am open to changes and suggestions but I think it is very important to provide a framework for a change in the ordinance.”
City Administrator Bob Swisher said that even if adopted, the city council could provide exceptions or variances, on a case by case basis.
Following an executive session, council authorized Swisher to begin looking into property for the city to build a 5-dog kennel for temporary housing to combat what has been called a “stray dog problem” in the city.
Swisher noted that the city is sending an employee to animal control school this month who would be able to pick up strays. 
Swisher said that his research has shown that to build a kennel that would suit the needs of a town the size of Linden would be about $8,000. 
Additionally, the city would also have to locate a veterinarian who would be willing to inspect the property and assist the city as needed. He also said that an animal benevolence league, which was not a city department, would have to be created to oversee adoptions.
 
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