Animal-control report: low licensing, planned outreach and spay/neuter clinic

Tyler, the city's animal-control officer, told the commission that for February 2026 the unit completed 118 service requests and handled 39 intakes: 27 animals were returned to owners, 13 were adopted, five sent to rescue, 24 taken to a veterinarian, six were dead on arrival and five were euthanized for major health concerns. The department issued nine citations totaling $3,670 and recorded two licenses issued.

"For the month of February 2026, we had a total of a 118 service requests completed," Tyler said, and he walked commissioners through intake and disposition counts.

Commissioners questioned the circumstances under which animals are euthanized. Tyler said the department seeks veterinary advice and euthanasia is used only for substantial health concerns, such as a shattered pelvis with no identifiable owner. "We always ask for medical advice from the doctors. It's nothing we don't go in there and just euthanize everything for any reason at all," he said.

On licensing, Tyler said only two licenses were recorded in February and attributed the low number in part to the absence of a regular spay-and-neuter partner event that typically produces many license transactions. He said the department will start mailing notices for expired licenses in April, is running a social-media campaign to promote licensing, vaccines and spay/neuter, and is planning a city-sponsored spay/neuter clinic to increase outreach and opportunities to license pets.

Tyler also explained technical hurdles to offering licensing at some partner clinics: the animal-control office uses PetPoint while a local clinic uses ShelterLove, and the two systems do not integrate.

The commission did not take formal action on animal-control staffing or budgets at the meeting; commissioners encouraged continued outreach and a planned mailing program to increase compliance and returns to owners.