Mission plans to move forward with a proposal to loosen restrictions on ownership of cats and dogs for its residents.
The city will undertake a complete update of its animal control ordinance, but the immediate change would allow residents to keep up to four cats or dogs in any combination. Currently, a household can have two dogs and two cats. A third dog or cat requires a $100 fee and $50 annual renewal. It also requires neighbors’ consent.
The new regulation would allow up to four dogs or cats in any combination without a permit. A household could add an additional two animals – dogs or cats – in any combination for an annual $50 accessory animal permit. To get the permit would require an inspection, but would not require consent from the neighbors or city council. A permit could be denied if the house has ordinance violations such as animals running at large or code violations.
Allowing for foster animals had been an issue brought up by the council at a previous meeting. Staff said that since a household could have up to six animals with the permit, that should cover any fostering situation without specific language on fostering. Service animals do not count against the limits.
A new ordinance that updates and incorporates changes over the years, including the new recommendations on dogs and cats, will come to the council in the near future. The city added chickens to the approved its of animals that can be kept at Mission homes last year.
