The City of Aurora is asking for feedback from residents on proposed revisions to its animal-related ordinances.

Pet owners who live in the city of Aurora may want to keep an eye on this story because it directly affects them and their furry family members.

Aurora Animal Services and the City Attorney’s Office has proposed changes to Chapter 14 of the City’s Code of Ordinances regarding animals. As part of the city’s review of departments, a multi-year review process was conducted and the proposed changes have been presented. This process has been a long time coming, seeing as Chapter 14 has not been subject to a full formal review since the 1970s.

The proposed changes include an expanded definition of animal cruelty, revisions on shelter fees and penalties, new requirements for barking dog complaints, changes to the cats running at large section, a shelter-neuter-release (SNR) program for community cats, updated definitions, adds wolf-hybrid to the prohibited exotic pet list, changes the list of rodents residents can poison, and adds encroachment ordinance among several other changes. This is by no means an inclusive list, and the changes are quite extensive and presented in a 42-page document on the Animal Ordinances Revisions webpage.

Residents of Aurora can review the proposed changes in their entirety online, and the city is encouraging the public to give feedback in a couple of ways.

An online survey form is accessible through the city website and allows for feedback on each section and its changes as well as general feedback.

For those who want to ask questions and get in-person information, the City of Aurora is hosting three open house type events in June 2019. There will be city staff hosting each event and allowing for questions and other feedback about the proposed changes to the existing ordinances. R.S.V.P.'s are not needed for any of these events.

• June 5, 6-8 p.m. – Aurora Municipal Center, Lobby, 15151 E. Alameda Parkway
• June 15, 10 a.m. to noon – Tallyn’s Reach Library,  23911 E. Arapahoe Road
• June 26, 5-7 p.m. – Central Recreation Center, 18150 E. Vassar Place

Those interested can sign up for an email notification list to receive updates and news on the Chapter 14 revision process by emailing [email protected].

Courtesy of Pixabay.

If you own a pet or want to own a pet or other animal in Aurora, or the other communities around Colorado, it is always sound advice to know what the rules and regulations are to keep yourself and your pets safe. It is worth a few minutes to read through the changes; the report shows the current ordinance and the proposed change, and there is information in there some of us may not have known.

Have you heard about the proposed changes to Aurora's Chapter 14 animal ordinances? Will you participate in feedback either online or at one of the in-person events? Is there a change you would like to see in the current ordinances that are not included in the proposal? Share your thoughts and ideas with us in the comments below.