Akron’s Animal Control Ordinance
On June 25, 2002, Akron’s Animal Control Ordinance was amended to include cats
as well as dogs.
A cat is picked up only when a resident makes a specific complaint about a cat
at-large. Where a pet owner can be identified, the owner will be counseled and/or cited
for failing to control his or her pet.
City animal control officers cannot remove a cat from the property of its owner,
without the owner’s permission. Where the owner is not known, the complaining
resident pays a $25.00 deposit to the City of Akron for a humane capture trap. Residents
are instructed by wardens to place food and water in the trap (one serving of food is
provided by the City); and to immediately telephone our Customer Service Division once a
cat has been captured. The goal is to respond within 2 to 4 hours.
Wardens specifically advise trap holders to remove the food from the trap and close the
doors on weekends - - Friday afternoon through Monday morning, to prevent an animal from
being left in the trap when wardens are not available.
The City of Akron’s policy is that in every case where a cat is impounded and
identified, the owner will be notified. Where an owner of a cat can be identified, that
owner has been notified at the time of capture or impoundment in every case.
Since the City of Akron maintains no holding facility for animals, each and every cat
is delivered to Summit County’s Department of Animal Control on North Street in
Akron.
Each and every cat that is delivered to Summit County is scanned for the presence of an
identification microchip.
(Insertion of a rice-sized microchip by subcutaneous injection can be performed by
almost any veterinarian; and at a cost of $30 to $50, assures each and every pet owner in
the City that an animal, if impounded, will be positively identified. Summit County scans
for all microchip protocols, and upon identification, telephones a central registry where
pet owners can be identified.)
Evaluation of animals presented at Shelter
Upon presentation to the Summit County Animal Shelter, every cat is evaluated by an
animal technician. Every animal is placed in a holding area for a minimum of 4 to 8 hours
before being placed in the Catterie. This permits a stressed animal time to calm down so
that it can be evaluated for feral behavior. A healthy cat - - one that is obviously
socialized, and able to be redeemed and/or adopted, and is removed to the Catterie.
Where a cat presents with any of the following symptoms, it is humanely euthanized on
the day of arrival:
- Where the animal is obviously infected and the infection is so well-seated that the
animal’s survival is doubtful.
- Where the cat has an obvious and highly communicable fungal disease.
- Where the cat presents behavior that is obviously feral (wild), where in the judgment of
the technician, no reasonable period of holding would permit it to be adopted and
socialized.
- Newborn cats not weaned from mother’s milk who are unable to consume dry food.
The only method of euthanasia that has been used for any cat
is intraperitoneal injection. This method is approved by the State of Ohio and the
American Veterinary Medical Association. The Euthanasia Policy and the use of drugs is
managed by a veterinarian who is always available to the Department of Animal
Control’s technicians. In every case only a certified euthanasia technician licensed
by the State of Ohio, euthanizes an animal.
Neutering Programs Being Reviewed
The City of Akron believes that an effective neutering program for cats is
essential to control the animal population, and has been examining alternatives and
looking at other model programs in cities around the country to determine how to proceed
in the best way possible.
To date, Akron has maintained modest incentives for neutering cats through a program of
reduced price coupons distributed by the Department of Health at vaccination clinics. The
citizens group
