Sherwood, Arkansas

6.01.02 – Mandatory registration of dogs and cats with differential license fee

Mandatory registration serves five (5) functions:

1. Protects the health and safety of the public: A differential license fee provides an incentive to sterilize companion animals. Statistics provided by the National Canine Research Council show that unsterilized animals are more than two (2) times more likely to bite than sterilized animals; helps reduce the number of unplanned/unwanted litters of puppies and kittens from being dumped in the city; these puppies and kittens have the potential to spread disease and parasites to both people and their pets.

2. Stray cat control: Only spayed or neutered cats allowed outdoors; city pet tag identifies cat as owned, sterilized, and vaccinated; stray cats without tags or cats that are not visibly ear tipped can be easily identified and humanely trapped by the property owner and brought to the shelter for adoption evaluation.

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5. Reduces pet overpopulation in the shelter and the city: An animal with a city pet tag spends fewer days housed at the shelter, sterilized pets cannot add to the overpopulation problem, which is a direct cause of the euthanasia of millions of adoptable pets across this nation each year.

(A) It shall be unlawful for any person to own, keep, or harbor a dog or cat within the corporate limits of the city without first having paid to the city a pet license fee. The pet license fee required by this section shall be due and payable as soon as the dog or cat attains four (4) months of age.

(B) To secure a pet license, owner/guardian must provide proof of a valid rabies vaccination administered by a licensed veterinarian and given within the past six (6) months. Pet license fee for an intact male or female cat or dog is thirty dollars ($30.00) per year.

(C) To receive a differential license fee, proof of sterilization must be provided at the time of registration, pet license fee for sterilized pet is five dollars ($5.00) per year.

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A person violating this section shall be assessed a fine of no less than sixty-five dollars ($65.00) nor more than one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) for each violation. Each day of a continuing violation may be deemed a separate violation for purposes of fine assessments.

6.01.03 – Identification of unsterilized cats

Pet license identification tags issued to an owner/guardian of an unsterilized cat shall be of different and distinctive color, which can be readily distinguished from such tag that would be issued for a sterilized cat.

(A) Unsterilized cats must be kept indoors at all limes. Failure to license and confine unsterilized cats is a violation of this section.

(B) A person violating this section shall be assessed a fine of no less than one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00) nor more than one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) for each violation. Each day of a continuing violation may be deemed a separate violation for purposes of fine assessments.

6.01.12 – Sterilization of impounded dogs and cats

In the City of Sherwood it shall be unlawful for any pound, shelter, humane organization, or animal rescue group to release to a new owner/guardian any dog or cat over three (3) months of age which has not been sterilized except as provided in this section.

(A) An animal which in the opinion of a veterinarian licensed to practice veterinary medicine in the State of Arkansas is medically compromised to the extent that it cannot withstand immediate sterilization may be temporarily released pursuant to a foster care agreement until such time as it can safely be sterilized or until two (2) veterinarians licensed to practice veterinary medicine in the State of Arkansas certify that it is unlikely that the animal will ever recover to the extent that it can safely be sterilized. At that time, ownership/guardianship of the animal may be transferred to an owner who certifies that the animal will not be used for breeding,

(B) Puppies or kittens under three (3) months of age may be released to a new owner/guardian when a promise to spay or neuter such animal has been signed by the person acquiring the animal. The sterilization shall be performed by the date stipulated, but for valid reason, the owner/guardian may request an extension of time. At the discretion of the releasing agency, up to thirty (30) days extension may be given. The signed promise shall be binding, and failure to comply is a violation of this section. In such case, the animal described therein shall be returned to the releasing agency upon demand. Ownership/guardianship of said animal reverts to the said releasing agency, and no claim may be made to recover expenses incurred for maintenance of the animal, including the initial procurement cost. Violations of this section are declared to be misdemeanors punishable by a fine of no less than one hundred dollars ($100.00) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500.00).