On Wednesday, the Houston City Council passed an animal control measure by a 15 to 1 vote (with one council member absent). The measure sets into motion policy changes designed to help Houstonâs Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care (BARC) better address our ongoing challenges with dangerous animals.
Currently, the department doesnât have enough officers or resources to keep the animal population under control. Mayor Annise Parker says sheâll increase BARCâs funding in the next budget cycle. In the meantime, the council vote will allow BARC to establish “nuisance dog” and “aggressive dog” designations, which will give them new authority to cite owners of dogs that could present a threat.
On this edition of Houston Matters, we learn how far that new authority can go, and under what circumstances, and we discuss what more can be done to deal with Houston’s stray animal population. We welcome your questions and comments for BARC’s Greg Damianoff, Salise Shuttlesworth from Friends For Life, and Deborah Hoffman of Corridor Rescue.
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More: PBS Newshour – Dealing with Houston’s Stray Animal Problem:
