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McALLEN — City leaders here pumped the brakes on a plan that would limit how many pets residents can keep in their homes pending questions over how far those limits should go and how the proposed ordinance would be implemented.
The proposed ordinance came about after several animal hoarding cases occurred within the city, overwhelming an animal care system that is already overburdened with an overpopulation of pets.
“After we’ve seen some high-profile hoarding cases … we did a survey around the state to look at what other cities do to hopefully stem and prevent this,” McAllen Deputy City Attorney Austin Stevenson said during a McAllen City Commission workshop on Monday.
“It’s not uncommon to see a cap on domesticated animals, so this would be a proposed cap on dogs and cats. And the number that we have on the current version of the ordinance is four,” Stevenson added.
Under the terms of the proposed ordinance, McAllen residents would be limited to a combined maximum of four adult cats and dogs, plus one litter of puppies or kittens, before they would need to apply for a permit.
The ordinance would not prohibit people from owning more pets; it would simply require them to obtain a permit in order to do so.
Additionally, anyone who applied for an excess pet permit would be required to allow city officials to inspect their residence at least once a year to ensure the animals are in a safe and suitable home.
Those who refuse to comply with the ordinance would be subject to penalties.
“(A) violation would be a class C misdemeanor, which we could enforce in municipal court,” Stevenson said.
“If a permit is revoked or denied, there would be an appeals process consistent with other appeals processes,” he added.
But some members of the city commission worried that the ordinance would create a sense that the city is penalizing pet owners and people who wish to foster animals.
“I don’t want to say it’s punitive, but it’s certainly a disincentive to have to be required to make an application and then pay $50 (for a permit) when our objective as we’re working with PVAS is to encourage more adoption,” District 2 McAllen Commissioner Joaquin “J.J.” Zamora said.
Zamora was speaking of the city’s more recent attitude toward animal control, which the department has been renamed “animal care services,” while McAllen’s partnership with Palm Valley Animal Society has also evolved.
In May, city leaders took a major step in that evolution when they approved an $820,000 expenditure to design a new animal shelter for the nonprofit.
“I share your concerns, commissioner. I think that what we’re looking at is adding a tool to the toolkit, which is to fend off the hoarding before it gets to the hoarding level,” Stevenson said.
District 5 Commissioner Victor “Seby” Haddad, who has served as a PVAS community partner, said limiting residents to just four animals before needing to apply for a permit may be too restrictive. He suggested raising the number to a combination of six dogs or cats.
He also suggested that foster animals not count toward the total pet limit, since their presence is temporary.
Finally, Haddad expressed concern over the proposed $50 fee to apply for a permit.
“I don’t agree with the fee. … I don’t think the residents should be charged anything. I think the time it takes to register and follow through on that aspect is enough,” Haddad said.
The deputy city attorney responded by saying that the proposed ordinance, as drafted, would give the city the ability to set whatever fee is chosen, including setting no fee at all.
Meanwhile, District 3 Commissioner Omar Quintanilla expressed concern over the lack of guidelines on how the home inspections would occur.
Ultimately, the council took no official action on the ordinance pending the hammering out of the commissioners’ concerns.
Speaking after Monday’s commission meeting, McAllen City Manager Roy Rodriguez said that the city’s recent hoarding cases weren’t the only reason behind the proposed ordinance.
But rather, as alluded to during the workshop, the city’s still-evolving animal control philosophy spurred the larger discussion.
Part of that new philosophy has been to begin addressing the lack of veterinary services in the Rio Grande Valley due to a shortage of available veterinarians. It’s an issue the city of McAllen hopes to tackle as part of its growing partnership with PVAS.
“We are considering that,” Rodriguez said when asked about the potential to implement spay/neuter regulations in the future.
“That’s part of the discussions that we’re having with Palm Valley Animal Society. That’s a big deal. That’s a big issue that we’re gonna have to deal with,” Rodriguez said.
Meanwhile, McAllen Mayor Javier Villalobos, who quipped that his five dogs live a more pampered life than he does, said city officials just don’t want to see more hoarding cases in the future.
“If I have to get a permit, I’ll get a permit, but those are not the people we’re worried about,” Villalobos said of responsible pet owners after Monday’s meeting.
It was a sentiment he had shared earlier during the workshop.
“What happens with a responsible cat lady that has 20 cats and she’s perfect,” the mayor asked near the end of Monday’s discussion.
“She just needs a permit,” the city manager responded.
