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St. Mary's County to hold public hearing on narrow animal-control ordinance change
Summary
Commissioners approved a public hearing for April 29 on a narrow revision to the county animal-control ordinance that would remove a single line in the commercial-establishment definition concerning households keeping five or more dogs.
The Commissioners of St. Mary's County on April 1 approved holding an evening public hearing on April 29 to consider a narrow revision to the county animal-control ordinance that would strike a line in the commercial-establishment definition related to households keeping five or more dogs.
Department of Emergency Services Director Utts told commissioners the change is limited in scope and is intended to address concerns from residents who interpreted the existing language as capturing family households or short-term caretakers (for example, military families temporarily caring for a deployed spouse's dog). "We're looking really to just make a very narrow change to that ordinance," Utts said, adding that the revision "doesn't impact the animal control officer's ability to enforce the commercial establishment" provisions or to pursue animal cruelty cases.
Utts said the broader ordinance update was adopted in June after a public hearing last April and that the current request responds to follow-up public comments and constituent feedback. The commissioners agreed the matter should be returned to the public for comment and approved the hearing by voice vote; the motion carried with the ayes prevailing.
The county said the public hearing time and location are to be determined; staff and the county attorney's office will provide the precise schedule and notice ahead of April 29. Commissioner remarks during the discussion emphasized that the change is intended to correct an unintended consequence rather than to roll back enforcement in animal-cruelty or commercial-breeding situations.
If adopted after the public hearing and any subsequent steps, the change would alter how the county defines "commercial animal establishments" for enforcement and permitting purposes. No formal text of the replacement ordinance was presented at the April 1 meeting; the hearing will allow residents and stakeholders to review and comment on the proposed language.
