The public is invited to a discussion on Thursday, Sept. 22 regarding proposed changes to the city’s ordinance regulating a variety of items related to domestic animals.
The meeting will take place at 5:30 p.m. at the Department of Public Works building, 150 S. Kendall St.
The Animals section of the city’s ordinances, Chapter 608, covers the regulation of items including cruelty to animals, nuisance animals, licensing requirements, sanitary conditions and more.
The city has received feedback and recommendations from animal service organization All Species Kinship, and others, to clarify and revise the ordinance to best meet the needs of animals in the Battle Creek area.
Some of the proposed changes are as follows. Once completed, a full table of proposed changes will be available on the city’s website, www.battlcreekmi.gov. Under the Your Government tab, click Police Department, Overview, and Animal Ordinance under Resources.
· Adds to the definitions of a “dangerous animal,” “tethering,” and more.
· Adds definitions for “service dog,” “rabies suspect animal,” and more.
· Adds a provision to the “cruelty to animals” violation, listing symptoms for which an owner must provide veterinary or medical care to the animal.
· Revises the section on animal tethering with regard to specific requirements.
This topic and discussion is separate from the city’s ongoing project to update and potentially change ordinances related to urban agriculture. Future City Commission workshops are being planned on each of these topics.