Brooklyn Park Considers Ordinance To Limit Pets
The Brooklyn Park City Council may amend the city code to restrict the total number of dogs and cats allowed at a home.
The council approved a first reading of the ordinance change on Feb. 24.
According to Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley, the proposed rule change comes after many residents bought more dogs than they could handle during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Everybody seemed to get dogs, so the animal complaints just seemed to go through the roof,” Bruley said. “And quite honestly, our community’s capacity to care for those animals deteriorated.”
The code amendment comes after several serious dog attacks last year, and would set the limit for domestic pets at three per property.
If the owner exceeds these limits, they would have eight weeks to remove the excess animals.
The new policy is attempt to crack down on unauthorized backyard dog breeding.
Bruley said police aren’t looking to punish families with fish, birds, or other animals that are primarily harmless and kept indoors.
“Our cadets will be acutely aware that it’s dogs and cats that are our problem,” he said. “I don’t know that we’ve ever taken anybody’s goldfish or parrots [to an animal impound facility.]”
Stray cats and dogs that are picked up by police in seven cities including Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center, Champlin, Crystal, Maple Grove, New Hope and Plymouth are taken to Pets Under Police Security (PUPS).
However, according to Bruley, the facility is often at capacity.
If the new policy is approved, PUPS will begin microchipping animals it receives from Brooklyn Park and charging the cost to the owner.
The council will have a second chance to weigh-in on the policy during a second reading.
