Would End 10-Animal Permits : Glendale Proposes Limit on Pets

The city of Glendale is proposing to eliminate a permit procedure that allows city residents to keep as many as 10 dogs and cats in their homes.

A proposed ordinance introduced to the City Council on Tuesday would discontinue the issuance of non-commercial kennel permits, under which residents could keep up to four dogs and six cats per household. The council will conduct a public hearing on the issue next week.

City law allows no more than two dogs and three cats per household but provides for exceptions through the permit process.

Grandfather Clause

A grandfather clause will exempt pet owners possessing a non-commercial kennel permit if the ordinance is adopted.

However, pet owners would be unable to replace pets if the number of dogs and cats in their home exceeds city law.

The proposed ordinance also says dogs or cats under the age of 4 months must be the offspring of the dog or cat licensed at that address, a change which city officials said was necessary to close a loophole used by residents who brought young animals into their homes for kenneling before being sold.

About five pet owners protested at the meeting that the new ordinance would prevent them from caring for stray animals.

“The losers in all this will probably be the animals,” said James Wingman, a Glendale resident who owns two dogs but often picks up strays.

“I wouldn’t want to be constrained from picking up an animal in need because it would put me over the legal limit . . . and my heart won’t allow me to take them to a kennel where I know they’ll be put to sleep.”

Non-Commercial Kennel Issue

But city officials said the ordinance is being proposed to prevent them from having to judge whether a homeowner should be allowed to have a non-commercial kennel.

Under city regulations, the issuance of a non-commercial kennel permit is subject to the approval of the city manager’s office, which rules on information obtained from an inspection of the applicant’s property and is contingent on the approval of a majority of neighbors.

“It kind of puts the city in the position where we have to be the dog judge,” Assistant City Manager Steve Adams said. “Basically this just takes the subjectivity out of the decision.”