ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Orange County leaders are putting plans in place to improve how pets and people in Central Florida are protected by revising the county’s animal services rules for the first time in 20 years.
What You Need To Know
Orange County is updating its animal control rules for the first time in 20 years
Rules would require pets to be spayed or neutered the first time they are brought to an animal shelter
Changes call for more use of microchips for pets in case they get lost
As of Tuesday, 348 dogs and cats were waiting for new homes at the Orange County Animal Services Shelter.
The changes to the county ordinance are designed to help keep pets, the families who adopt them and the public safer.
Moo is all ready for a new home, one of the animals waiting to be adopted at one of the busiest animal shelters in Florida.
Orange County commissioners want to update the local ordinance so fewer animals wind up at the Orange County shelter. The change would require a mandatory spay or neuter the first time animal control brings a loose pet to the shelter.
“The mandatory spay or neutering is because we’re overpopulated in this area, and when you’re overpopulated, that can lead to things we don’t want — animal cruelty, etc.,” Orange County Commissioner Christine Moore said.
Commissioner Mayra Uribe said the county’s new rules would also require more micro-chipping of pets.
“Nobody wants to lose a family member, and pets are people’s family members. We have to remember that,” she said.
The other proposed changes focus on making the county’s ordinance language fall in line with Florida’s new Dangerous Dog Law; updating stray hold times to align with neighboring counties; and increasing enforcement to stop unethical sales of puppies and kittens at so-called puppy mills.
“Staff always compares to other counties’ best practices to make sure we’re always treating animals fairly,” Moore said.
Uribe pointed out that Orange County made puppy mills illegal a couple of years ago because too many sick puppies were being sold.
“We want to do our best to prevent that because we know an unhealthy animal out there doesn’t benefit anybody,” Uribe said. “It doesn’t benefit the owner, doesn’t benefit the breed.”
County leaders said they hope to put the changes in place by late this year or early next year.
Orange County will also build a new $49 million animal shelter with space for 265 dogs on the first floor and 200 cats on the second floor. It will update the shelter’s facilities.