Tooele is preparing to soften its two-pet limit at the request of city residents and area animal-rescue groups.
The Tooele City Council has directed city staff members to prepare an ordinance that will allow residents to have four pets — two cats and two dogs — with the option of paying a fee for additional pets. In addition, the City Council is proposing that any animal adopted from the city's animal shelter first be spayed or neutered.
The changes were discussed by the City Council last week and are expected to be voted on as soon as Aug. 1.
Marci Wicks, director of the Tooele Animal Outreach rescue group, said the City Council's willingness to re-examine the city's pet ordinances and compromise with rescue groups and pet owners was a "pleasant surprise."
"I think it's an excellent start in making huge changes in Tooele and bringing it up to the standard of other cities in Utah," Wicks said.
Wicks and other Tooele animal advocates expressed their concern last month with a public-awareness campaign that that they said had gotten out of hand.
Debra Bush, hired nearly a year ago to oversee Tooele Animal Control and the city's animal shelter, began a citywide canvass in May to alert residents to the city's two-pet limit and animal control's plans to enforce it. Those in violation were issued warnings, with the threat of citations to anyone who did not comply by a specified date. The citations carry a $75 fine for a first offense and can get as high as $700 for multiple fines.
The practice drew criticism from Tooele pet owners, rescue groups and No More Homeless Pets in Utah, leading to the proposed compromise.
Bush said she's "in a holding pattern" until the City Council decides what changes will be made.
"Whatever the City Council decides, I will enforce," she said.
Councilman John Hansen said he believes the proposed changes will be approved and that they will resolve residents' concerns.
"I feel confident this problem is solved," Hansen said. "It's one of those things where we compromised and now we're moving on."
The City Council also will consider allocating an additional $5,000 to the shelter to help with the costs of spaying and neutering animals, an idea proposed last week by Councilman Mike Johnson.
The plan calls for $20 to be put toward the spaying and neutering of dogs and cats adopted at the shelter, reducing the cost of the procedure to those adopting pets to about $60.
"I support that idea," Hansen said. "I think the council probably will go along with that."
E-mail: jpage@desnews.com