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Council hears first reading to update animal‑control code, adds bonding and definition changes
Summary
Assistant city attorney presented amendments to Chapter 91 to refine definitions, require fencing for certain enclosures and add an impoundment bonding requirement so owners pay impoundment and care costs before release; council praised the humane approach and advanced the changes on first reading.
The council heard a first reading of proposed amendments to Chapter 91 of the Fishers Code of Ordinances to update animal‑control standards.
Assistant City Attorney Whitney Wampler said the changes fix a printing error in the posted code, update definitions (expanding "competent person" to mean an individual with the maturity and capacity to safely control and care for an animal), remove a separate "dangerous animal" definition in favor of substantive criteria, add a requirement that proper enclosures include fencing, and add a bonding requirement so owners of impounded animals pay impoundment and care costs before release.
Councilmembers praised the approach as clear and humane. One councilmember said the ordinance provides an orderly course of action for owners of animals that have bitten people while avoiding immediate euthanasia as the first remedy. Police and staff said the ordinance will provide clearer lanes of accountability for neighborhood incidents.
Council advanced the ordinance on first reading; staff said the redraft aligns posted section numbers and includes technical, conforming edits.
