Changes to Springfield’s vicious dog ordinance have been approved by Springfield City Council. Members voted unanimously Monday night for the changes.
Dogs deemed a nuisance must now be micro-chipped, have up-to-date rabies vaccinations, be spayed or neutered and be registered with the Springfield-Greene County Health Department at a cost of $50 per year.
Owners must post a sign at their homes stating that a vicious dog lives there and can’t have the dog anywhere it could possibly escape from the house, including in a room with open windows. They could lose their right to have an animal in the city for a certain amount of time if there are repeat violations.
Restrictions could be removed if there are no problems after two years.
Before the vote was taken, council member Kristi Fulnecky said she was excited to support the bill.
"I think it's a great bill and hopefully ordinance, and it promotes responsible dog ownership, and I'm very excited that we're going to have this in place for the safety of our citizens of Springfield," she said.
Council member Craig Hosmer thanked the Springfield-Greene County Health Department for their work on the bill.
"I think that they've worked with both sides fairly, and I think it's a testament to listening to both sides, hearing the debate and making a policy decision that I think makes good sense for the City of Springfield, so thank you," he said.
Amendments to the bill were approved Monday night. One clarifies the language on posted signs to read: “Warning: a vicious dog is present on this property that is not allowed out of house or pen without leash or muzzle. Report violations.” The other amendments continue the Animal Issues Task Force for another year but change it to an input group and allow breed-specific language in the bill to be dealt with in the next year.
