September 30, 2013

BARC Animal Shelter and Adoptions Seeking Input
on Recommended Ordinance Changes
Tuesday, October 1, 2013

BARC Animal Shelter and Adoptions administers regulations concerning animals within the City of Houston through Chapter 6 of the City of Houston Code of Ordinances and is seeking input from the community concerning proposed changes. We want to hear from you!  (See below for the details.)

Attend the meeting Tuesday, October 1, 2013, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Houston Permitting Center (HPC) 1002 Washington Avenue, Houston 77002 to discuss the proposed Chapter 6 revisions in the  basement training room B2 and please share this email with kennels, pet groomers and rescue organizations.

This meeting will help BARC ensure that the changes reflect and promote the needs of animal-related businesses, pet owners and the public as a whole, especially as it relates to the well-being of animals and public safety.

Some of the key recommended revisions to the current ordinance include changes to commercial pet service facility protocols such as the minimum distance requirement, additional protocols to reduce animal cruelty across the city and revised record-keeping procedures. Other changes are simply administrative. 

A current "redline" draft of the ordinance is available at https://www.houstontx.gov/barc/chapter6draft.pdf. Note that items in the draft that are crossed out indicate language that is removed in the revised ordinance and items underlined are additions.

In addition to the conversation at the meeting, BARC plans to live tweet and answer questions at @BARC­_Houston and will use the hashtag #Ch6BARC. A live stream of the event will also be available online. BARC plans to announce where to view the live stream via Twitter and on the City Animal Codes and Laws page at www.HoustonBARC.com prior to the meeting. BARC will also post a video of the meeting on www.YouTube.com/WeAreBARC by Thursday, October 3.

Note that this is a different process from the one that has taken place over the past year regarding hens.

For any questions or to RSVP for the meeting, contact Christopher Newport at Christopher.Newport@houstontx.gov.