PASCO COUNTY, FLORIDA
INTER-OFFICE MEMORANDUM

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TO: Honorable Chairman and                     DATE: 1/02/02                 FILE: CS02-035 
      Members of the Board of
      County Commissioners

THRU: Daniel R. Johnson                           SUBJECT: Amendment to Animal Control Ordinance to
          Assistant County Administrator                         Clarify Criteria Necessary for Abandoned 
          for Public Services                                            Animals, Establish Holding Time,
                                                                                Eliminate the need to Hold Individual Custody
                                                                                Hearings for Animals not Claimed and Confinement
                                                                                Requirements for Female Dogs in Heat, Final Public
                                                                                Hearing: 1/08/02 - 9:30 a.m., NPR

FROM: Adelaida D. Reyes                          REFERENCES: Introduction: 12/04/01- 6:30 p.m., NPR
           Community Services Director

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It is recommended that the data herein presented be given formal consideration by the Board of County Commissioners.

DESCRIPTION AND CONDITIONS:

Please find before you for the final public hearing the proposed Amendment to the Animal Control Ordinance. This ordinance was presented and introduced on December 4, 2001. There were no recommended changes. As the Board has previously been advised, the ordinance would, among other things, clarify the criteria necessary to deem an animal abandoned, establish a manageable holding time for animals taken into custody under those circumstances, with ten (10) days recommended as the holding period, and eliminate the need to hold individual custody hearings for animals not claimed. The Amendment also included specific confinement requirements to be enacted for female dogs while in heat to prevent unintentional breeding.

ALTERNATIVES AND ANALYSIS:

  1. The Board of County Commissioners may adopt the proposed Animal Control Ordinance as attached.

    2. The Board of County Commissioners may adopt revisions to the proposed Animal Control Ordinance.

    3. The Board of County Commissioners may direct staff to proceed with other alternatives, including leaving
        the   Pasco County Code, Chapter 14, as it presently stands.

RECOMMENDATIONS AND FUNDING:

The Community Services Department/Animal Control Division recommends that the Board adopt the Amendment to the Animal Control Ordinance, authorize the Chairman’s signature, direct Board Records to file a certified copy of the ordinance and accompanying coding form with the Department of State within ten (10) days after enactment, retain the ordinal ordinance, and send one (1) certified copy of the ordinance to the following: County Attorney’s Office, New Port Richey, Community Services Department, Port Richey, and Animal Control, Land O’Lakes.

No funding is required for this Board action.

ATTACHMENTS:

    1. Ordinance Amendment to Pasco County Code, Chapter 14

    2. Florida County Ordinance Data Retrieval System Coding Form

ADR/nk

APPROVED AGENDA ITEM FOR

DATE________________________

BY___________________________