Town hall draws hours of public testimony on leash laws, impoundment, spay/neuter and FOGA contract

City council members held a town-hall listening session focused on a broad package of proposed animal-control measures, drawing hours of public testimony from residents, animal-control officers, rescue volunteers and attorneys. Speakers repeatedly pressed for clearer leash rules and enforcement, more local quarantine and impound capacity, incentives and limits for breeding and ownership, and a defined contract and funding terms with Friends of Jefferson Animals (FOGA), the nonprofit that provides much of the city’s animal-response capacity.

"It's very important for a service dog team," said Mickey Moore, describing how roaming dogs can ruin a seizure‑alert dog's ability to function; Moore said his daughter and her service dog sometimes must wait in the car when other dogs roam off-leash. Animal-control officer Skylar Clark…