Animal Issues
Animal control
Animal Control Department and the Police Department’s officers will offer assistance with wild or stray animals. For immediate assistance with stray animals, call the police department at 870-423-3343
For General Issues, call (870) 350-1669
General Rules:
- It is unlawful for any person to knowingly release any animal in any public place within the corporate limits of the city.
- No person shall be allowed to transport into this city any animal infected with a contagious disease.
- It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to abandon any dog, cat or other animal within the corporate limits of the City of Berryville.
- No person shall kill, or cause to be killed, any rabid animal, any animal suspected of having been exposed to rabies, or any such animal that has bitten a human. Nor shall any such animal be removed from the city limits without written permission from the Animal Control Department.
- Every animal which bites a person shall be promptly reported to the Animal Control Department.
- No person shall fail or refuse to surrender any animal for quarantine or destruction as required herein when demand therefore is made by the Animal Control Department.
- No person shall interfere with any animal control worker by use of force, trickery or deceit, or threaten use of force or otherwise intimidate or attempt to intimidate or otherwise frustrate or thwart the work of any animal control worker who may be carrying out or attempting to carry out his normal and reasonable duties.
Dogs and Cats
The City of Berryville requires pet owners to register their pets. All dogs or cats must be registered by the time they are 6 months of age, or when they receive their rabies vaccination. All dogs over 6 months old are required to have a rabies vaccine. The license is nontransferable and must be returned to the Animal Control Officer upon the death of the dog or cat.
Annual Fees
$5.00 for each altered dog or cat
$25.00 for each unaltered dog or cat
$2.00 for duplicate tags if tag becomes lost
$50.00 breeding fee (for any commercial business of buying, selling, breading, or boarding) (for persons who keep three or more dogs or cats in a kennel)
Berryville Municipal Code states that it is unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to own, keep or harbor a dog or cat within the corporate limits of the City of Berryville without having first paid to the Animal Control Office an annual license fee.
Every dog or cat must wear a collar of such type that the city license tag may be firmly attached to it. The tag must be securely attached to the dog’s or cat’s collar or harness at all times.
Any licensed veterinarian in Carroll County can register your dog or cat or you may register your pet at City Hall.
Also, by ordinance, residents may not allow their personal dogs or dangerous, unruly, fierce, or mischievous animals to run at large in the city. Residents must keep such animals leashed. Officers may impound such animals that are not leashed and cite their owner.
It is unlawful for residents to keep any dog which by loud and frequent barking and/or howling shall disturb the peace and quiet of any person who may reside within reasonable proximity of the place where such dog is kept.
Impoundment and Reclamation
The Animal Control Department shall take into custody any dog found at large in the city, and shall impound the dog in the city animal shelter or such other place as such animal control worker may designate for purposes of impoundment. Such impounded dog shall be held for a period of three (3) days at the end of which the dog shall be made available for adoption.
During these three (3) days of such impoundment, the Animal Control Officer shall make diligent effort to determine the owner of such dog and notify him of such impoundment. If the owner of such dog fails or refuses to claim and repossess such dog by the payment of the proper fee as prescribed herein within the three (3) days of such impoundment, then the Animal Control Officer may deliver custody and possession of such dog to any person other than the owner upon the payment of the fees listed below:
- Payment of fees and proof of vaccination (bring tags or paper proof with you)
- If the animal has not been vaccinated, you must sign a waiver agreeing to have the animal vaccinated within one week of release
- Animals impounded for being a public nuisance may not be redeemed unless authorized by a court jurisdiction
Dogs: Twenty dollars ($20.00) plus costs (neuter/spay fees, etc.).
Cats: Twenty dollars ($20.00) plus costs (neuter/spay fees, etc.).
Boarding Fee: $10.00 per day (after the initial 3 days confinement)
Horses and Cows
The keeping of horses or cows within the corporate limits of the city is permitted where they are maintained on an enclosed pasture containing one (1) acre for each animal.
Residents are required by law to keep their animals fenced in properly. Any large animals found running around at large within city limits is considered a misdemeanor.
According to the Municipal Code, the keeping of horses and cows in enclosures as herein provided within the limits of the city shall be under the supervision and control of the proper law enforcement official. Should any of the enclosures become harbors for breeding flies, mosquitoes and rats, or should they become unsanitary, obnoxious, unhealthful and/or discomforting to any of the citizens of the city because of conditions created by keeping of said animals, the proper law enforcement official, upon investigating and finding any such conditions to exist, shall serve written notice on the owners or keepers of the premises as to the conditions thereof by delivering a copy of the notice to the owner or keeper, or by posting same in a conspicuous place on the premises, and if within five (5) days after service of notice said owner or keeper has not corrected the conditions, the City Attorney is authorized to institute an action in a court of competent jurisdiction to abate same as a nuisance.
Impoundment and Reclamation
Large animals may be adopted on bid
Swine, Goats and Sheep
The keeping of swine, goats or sheep within the city limits is not permitted; except when in transit, they may be kept for a period not to exceed twenty-four (24) hours in an established stockyard.
Fowl
The keeping of chickens, turkeys or other fowl is allowed within city limits. However, roosters are NOT permitted on any property within city limits. No fowl owned by residents is allowed to run at large within the city.
According to the Municipal Code, the keeping of fowl in enclosures as herein provided within the limits of the city shall be under the supervision and control of the proper law enforcement official. Should any of the enclosures become harbors for breeding flies, mosquitoes and rats, or should they become unsanitary, obnoxious, unhealthful and/or discomforting to any of the citizens of the city because of conditions created by keeping of said animals, the proper law enforcement official, upon investigating and finding any such conditions to exist, shall serve written notice on the owners or keepers of the premises as to the conditions thereof by delivering a copy of the notice to the owner or keeper, or by posting same in a conspicuous place on the premises, and if within five (5) days after service of notice said owner or keeper has not corrected the conditions, the City Attorney is authorized to institute an action in a court of competent jurisdiction to abate same as a nuisance.
