Muscatine police captain says city revised animal ordinances and is educating public on enforcement

Council member Lampe asked the Muscatine Police Department on Jan. 2 to brief the City Council on animal-control work in the wake of recent local incidents. Captain Jeff Hurach of the Muscatine Police Department said the city “really took a deep dive into revamping our animal ordinances” about 2½–3 years ago and that the city’s dangerous-and-vicious-dog ordinances are written to parallel Iowa Code 717.

“We are in line with our fine structure, we are in line with our enforcement structure,” Captain Hurach said, adding that frontline animal-control work is handled by Courtney Patel. Hurach said the department also pursues education and outreach: “On the educational side of it, we really, go above and beyond … getting the word out to the community as to what we are doing, how we are enforcing the current, dangerous and vicious, ordinance and how that falls in line with state code.”

Council members asked for the briefing during the meeting’s general remarks; the transcript records Hurach’s overview but shows no motion, vote, referral, or new ordinance introduced at the meeting.

Because the council did not take formal action, no changes to penalties, processes, or staffing were recorded at this meeting. Captain Hurach noted the department’s current enforcement posture and community-education efforts and named Courtney Patel as the frontline animal-control worker available for further questions.