On Monday, June 4, 2018, at a regularly scheduled Boone County Commissioner’s Meeting, the Commissioners passed the proposed Animal Control Ordinance in a 2-1 vote.
The Boone County Sheriff’s Office, the Humane Society for Boone County, County Attorney Bob Clutter, and the Commissioners have been working on this Ordinance for over a year, and along with community input, we were able to transform it into a passable version. The new Ordinance, which is in effect as of June 4th, focuses on higher standards of care for domestic animals, mandatory identification tags or microchips for domestic animals, restraint of domestic animals, and a wide array of other topics. It also sets forth the penalties for violations; the fees range from $50 to $1,000, depending on the violation.
The ordinance was passed with the requirement that a yearly review and analysis of the Animal Control Division will be presented to the Commissioners for at least three years and that a Best Practices Manual will be created for the Division.
Additionally, now that the Ordinance is in effect, the Animal Control Division will be working on new internal policies and procedures for various aspects of investigations and documentation
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Sheriff Mike Nielsen stated, “The Boone County Sheriff’s Office would like to extend thanks to all parties involved in the implementation of this Ordinance, particularly the Boone County Commissioners. The new Ordinance will allow for the Animal Control Officer, and law enforcement officers in general, to better protect the animals and pets of Boone County.”
Deputy Fisher, Animal Control Officer stated, “For the past five months, I have been working in the capacity of Animal Control Officer. There have been numerous calls for service in which I did not have probable cause to file criminal charges under the Indiana Criminal Code nor was the problem at hand relevant under a state level infraction. The County’s previous version of an animal ordinance was solely in reference to restraint of dogs; the new version of the Animal Control Ordinance offers a much broader spectrum for enforcement and protection of the domestic animals within the county. I am proud to be a part of the passing of this ordinance as it puts Boone County on a more equal playing field with other counties that have had similar documents on the books for years. It was much needed, and I am thankful to the Commissioners for passing it.”