Sherwood council amends animal-services ordinance; mandatory microchipping replaced with encouragement

Councilmember Brooks Townsend presented a set of amendments to Ordinance 02/1940 governing the Department of Humane Animal Services at the Sherwood City Council meeting on Feb. 24, 2025, and the council voted to strike mandatory language on microchipping and replace it with an encouragement. The motion to amend carried by roll call vote and the ordinance was read as amended, returning to first reading for further revisions.

Townsend said she had reviewed prior council comments and worked with the city’s animal-control staff to revise the draft, including changes from "halter" to "harness," clarifications on how repeated bites are counted before a dog can be deemed vicious, and a reduction in the stated minimum liability-insurance amount. "I went back and listened specifically to each of the council members' comments, concerns, and questions," Townsend said, describing the edits as responses to those concerns.

The change most discussed…