Title
Animal Code Updates
Body
Summary and Background Information:
Council directed staff to Staff review the current animal code (chapter 4 of the municipal code) and make updates, particularly focused on Commerce City’s breed-specific legislation (Sec. 4-2010 and 4-2011, vicious animals and pit bulls). Council also requested additional information on the history of Commerce City’s BSL, pros and cons, its efficacy, and its enforcement. Additionally, Council requested information on the possibility of backyard beekeeping. The City Attorney in conjunction with the City Manager’s office and Community Development, has prepared updates to the code and research into the feasibility of beekeeping. Since backyard beekeeping would be included within the animal code, these topics are being presented together.
Breed-Specific Legislation Background
The most significant change to the animal code pertains to Commerce City’s pit bull ban. Sec. 4-2011 of the code currently prohibits the ownership of pit bulls in most circumstances. Ordinance 1593 was passed in 2005 in the wake of several high-profile pit bull attacks in the Metro Area and only allows pit bulls in the city if they are being transported through town, owned prior to the ordinance passing, part of a sanctioned dog show approved by the police, or possessed by a city employee as dictated by their duties. Any animals grandfathered in are regulated and must be vaccinated and microchipped, muzzled and leashed when in public, secured in an enclosure when at home, and the owner must carry $100,000 in liability insurance. Prior to Ordinance 1593, pit bulls were allowed in the city but had to be securely fenced in the yard per Ordinance 817 passed in 1987. Going back to 2012, the municipal court has prosecuted an average of around 4 violations of Sec. 4-2011 every year.
It is important to note that there is no singular breed called the ‘pit bull.’ Pit bull is a generic term applied to breeds possessing similar physi...
Click here for full text