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Council adopts changes to city animal code tightening unlawful restraint and hoarding provisions
Summary
Lake Havasu City Council adopted Ordinance 25-1360 amending Title 6 (Animals) to add an unlawful restraint-of-dog section, revise definitions (including ADA‑aligned service animal language) and raise enforcement for repeat violations; the measure passed 7–0.
The Lake Havasu City Council unanimously adopted ordinance 25‑1360 Tuesday, amending Title 6 of the city code to revise animal definitions, add an unlawful restraint provision for dogs and clarify standards for animal hoarding.
City attorney Melanie Gary (presenting the item) told council the ordinance revises penalty and violation language across Title 6, aligns the city’s service‑animal definition with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act and creates a new unlawful restraint section aimed at tethering of dogs. “The restraint is only when they're tethered to a stationary fixed object, but they can't have the choke collars or pinch collars,” Gary said, adding the rule does not prohibit owners from using choke or pinch collars while walking a dog.
Hoarding and enforcement: Gary said the hoarding language is intended to focus on neglect and welfare, noting the 10‑or‑more‑animals threshold remains part of how the city evaluates hoarding situations. The proposed amendments escalate consequences for repeated at‑large offenses within a 12‑month window, making subsequent violations criminally prosecutable.
Public comment: resident Emiliano Torres told the council he had been approached by friends reporting large‑scale dog breeding operations and urged the council to address breeders that treat animals as a business rather than pets.
Vote and effect: Councilmember David Diaz moved adoption of ordinance 25‑1360; the motion carried 7–0. Staff indicated the ordinance had been through a prior first reading and this vote represented final adoption; implementation details and enforcement procedures will be handled by city staff under the amended code.
Ending: The ordinance updates seek to clarify the city’s definitions and enforcement steps for animal restraint and hoarding, align local service‑animal language with the ADA and add an unlawful restraint category focused on tethering and mistreatment.
