By Mayor Tommy Battle, City of Huntsville
Huntsville Animal Services has made great strides in the past 10 years to save the lives of adoptable pets and to ensure our pets have humane living conditions. More than 90 percent of pets coming into the Shelter are adopted into new homes – a dramatic turnaround from the days when many healthy pets were euthanized.
Any outside pets cannot be tethered. They must also have a trolley system or runner attached to a pulley or a 200-square feet chain linked kennel run. Huntsville Animal Services will help you get any of the more costly items through the nonprofit called Helping Animals Without Shelter, which you can contact at hawshelp62@gmail.com.
Our Animal Services workers are our first responders in the humane care of pets in our community. Through their efforts, City Council updated an ordinance last fall to safeguard the care of dogs living outdoors.
Pet owners of any canine that normally house their animals outside unattended on their property are now required to provide a humane restraint for these animals, which means dogs cannot be chained. In addition to pet safety outlined in existing ordinances, the City strengthened pet regulations regarding humane shelter, space, food and water ordinances to ensure appropriate care of dogs.
All animals left unattended outside must have access to clean, fresh potable water and proper food, to have a structurally sound, water- and wind-proof sufficient size shelter, and a trolley system or runner attached to a pulley on a cable run or a minimum of 200 square feet chained link kennel run.
Since Council approved the ordinance in October 2018, the City provided a generous grace period to allow pet owners ample time to comply with these new ordinances. Beginning March 1, 2019, these new ordinances will be enforced by Huntsville Animal Services officers. With the date rapidly approaching, the City wants to ensure that pet owners are aware of the new regulations and that they have the resources they need to comply. “The ordinance is to make the life of dogs living outdoors more productive for them,” said Karen Buchan, animal care supervisor. “We want them healthy we want them happier, and safe. So it’s the welfare of the animal.”
She says they want to help people comply with the new law but starting March 1st you can get fined if you don’t.
Helping Animals Without Shelter https://www.facebook.com/groups/HAWS4Paws/about/ (HAWS) is a local non-profit that seeks to help animals survive the elements. The organization will be available to assist pet owners who are not able to afford or set up the trolley runner. More information is available at haws help.
I welcome your thoughts and comments at contact@huntsvilleal.gov or by calling 256-427-5000.