Round Rock is considering a series of amendments to the city's animal ordinance that would impact not only cat and dog owners, but the management of feral cats, backyard beekeeping and the sale of animals in the city. After discussing a need for several changes to the draft ordinance, City Council voted to table the amendments Thursday evening. Round Rock Animal Control Supervisor Joel Coston presented the proposed changes to City Council and said the ordinance was evaluated over several months and the amendments aim to address identified weaknesses. Council members Will Peckham and Tammy Young helped draft the ordinance. Peckham said the process to a little over a year and involved several stakeholders in the community. Several members of the public attended Thursday's meeting to speak to City Council about the proposed amendments. Most of the comments were in support of the changes with some requested adjustments. Council Member Matthew Baker expressed concern that a few of the amendments may unnecessarily place pet owners in violation of the ordinance. "I just want to make sure we are thinking through all of the real-life repercussions of the ordinance," Baker said, pointing to examples of codes that he thinks need further definition or exceptions. Coston said the enforcement of the ordinance would be at the discretion of the responding officers. Morgan requested that staff consider some of the recommendations and concerns from members of the public and members of council. City Manager Laurie Hadley said staff would need time to research the changes and add them to the ordinance. Hadley said the ordinance could return to council possibly in December. Some of the proposed changes to the ordinance include:
Shelter The ordinance was amended to more clearly define “shelter” as a structure “constructed from sufficient material to offer adequate protection that does not create a hazard to the animal’s health and safety or create a public nuisance.” Coston said the previous ordinance was vague and allowed citizens to claim that pets had shelter when there was no protection from the elements. The clear definition will give officers greater ability to enforce the rule. "In the past we've seen that [shelter] could mean a tree in the back yard, a bench or even an open refrigerator," Coston said.
Condition of sale New requirements in place for the sale of animals in Round Rock include:
  • The animal must be at least eight weeks of age.
  • The animal must be from Williamson County or a neighboring county.
  • If the animal is kept in a cage or pen, it must be large enough for the animal to stand without crouching. It also must have room for the animal to turn around or move naturally without stepping on another animal, feces, or any food or water.
  • Any cage or pen must have food and water that is accessible to the animal.
  • There must be air circulating through any cage or pen housing an animal so the animal is not exposed to extreme heat. During cold or rain, the cage or pen must be situated so the animal stays warm and dry.
  • The floor of a cage or pen must be made of a solid material.
Coston said the changes were made to manage the conditions under which commercial facilities are selling animals and to lower local animal shelter populations. A few members of the public requested the ordinance be further amended to allow the sale of animals only from Williamson County rather than contiguous counties. Baker asked for clarification on whether a puppy could be sold younger than eight weeks of age if sold along with the mother.
Animals unattended in vehicles The amendment outlawed leaving animals unattended in vehicles for any amount of time. "What we've found when enforcing this ordinance is that people will leave animals in cars not believing it to be a dangerous situation," Coston said. By outlawing the action completely, officers will be able to rescue animals left unattended in vehicles. Baker expressed concern that there are situations in which a pet owner could be penalized for leaving an animal in a vehicle without putting the animal in danger.
Microchipping All pets over the age of four months must now be microchipped in the city of Round Rock. Coston said that most pet owners are already in compliance with this requirement and microchipping allows officers and local shelters to reunite pets with their owners more easily. According to Coston’s presentation, a microchipped dog is 2.4 times more likely to make it home than a dog without a microchip and a lost cat is 21.4 times more likely to make it home if it has been microchipped. Pet owners can have their pets microchipped at most veterinary offices, Coston said, or at the Round Rock Police Department for a $10 fee as long as they call ahead of time.
Tethers If an animal is tethered, the tether must be either 10 feet long or five times the length of the animal, whichever is shorter. Two members of the public at Thursday's meeting requested the ordinance further define what constitutes a collar, pointing to pet owners using items such as zip ties in place of traditional collars.
Beekeeping Coston said animal control met with Round Rock Honey to compose a backyard beekeeping ordinance mirroring one in the city of Austin. The ordinance would establish guidelines for backyard beekeeping within the city and penalties for irresponsible bee owners. By working with Round Rock Honey, Coston said the ordinance will not interfere with any commercial beekeeping facility. Two members of the public spoke in support of the ordinance to impose restrictions on aggressive bee colonies. Coston said the ordinance would allow officers to remove bees that are determined to be a nuisance through a hearing with a municipal judge.
Feral cats Currently, no ordinance exists to regulate how citizens manage trap, neuter, return—or TNR–programs, which are aimed at reducing feral cat populations. The proposed ordinance would give animal control the authority to manage TNR colony managers. Coston said the ordinance allows colony managers the decision of whether or not to microchip the cats, but they would be required to keep records of the cats. A representative of Shadow Cats, a local TNR program, attended Thursday's meeting and requested the amendment be tabled to allow for further input from the TNR community.