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Schererville adopts overhaul of animal-control rules, raises adoption and licensing fees
Summary
The Schererville Town board unanimously adopted Resolution 2025-2 to repeal older animal-control ordinances, raise licensing ranges and adoption fees, and increase humane-treatment penalties; staff said fees will be deposited in a pet-adoption fund to offset costs.
Schererville Town officials on the evening approved a package of revised animal-control ordinances intended to align the town code with day-to-day operations and to increase revenues for a pet-adoption fund.
The board voted unanimously to adopt Resolution 2025-2, which covers three ordinance exhibits: licensing, adoption and humane-treatment rules. Staff said the licensing range for dogs and cats will be adjusted (the transcript shows the original range at $10–$25 and the proposed range up to $30 for unneutered animals) and that collected fees will be deposited in a pet-adoption fund to help offset costs.
Staff explained the adoption-fee amendment would raise the standard adoption fee from $65 to $200 and that the adoption package would include spay/neuter (as appropriate), rabies vaccination, initial distemper and bordetella vaccinations, heartworm testing where applicable, microchipping and leukemia testing for felines when needed. Officials said some care and testing remain done in-house but that contracted services for certain procedures can raise preparation costs for individual animals to between roughly $200 and $750 in higher-cost cases.
A board member asked whether the new adoption fees cover the department’s costs. Staff replied the fees “offset” but do not fully cover all treatment and contractor expenses. Staff reported the department averages about 34–44 adoptions annually and noted last year’s count was 44.
The humane-treatment ordinance language was simplified and the range of penalties was increased from lower historic amounts to a maximum stated in the packet and discussion of up to $7,500 per occurrence; those fine collections were also described as being deposited into the pet-adoption fund. During the meeting staff asked the board to remove a separate permits item from the night’s resolution and route that permits matter to town zoning and the town attorney for further review.
The board approved Resolution 2025-2 by voice vote with no recorded dissents. Town staff said the permits item will be reevaluated by the town attorney and may return on a separate track to the town side for zoning review.
The resolution takes effect according to the town’s procedural rules for ordinance adoption; staff did not specify an exact effective date during the meeting.
