Final Branson Town Hall on Animal Ordinance Scheduled for June

Branson Officials have scheduled the final Town Hall Meeting for the Animal Ordinance. Information from the City of Branson Press Release is below:

The third, and final, town hall regarding the proposed new animal ordinance is set for June 9, 2021, at 6:00 p.m. at the Branson Community Center, located at 201 Compton Dr, and is open to all residents and community members.

Branson Mayor, Larry Milton, and the Board of Aldermen are hosting these town halls to hear resident’s input on the proposed new animal ordinance before the final vote on this issue which is currently slated for the regular Board of Aldermen meeting on August 24, 2021. Aldermen, Jeff Seay and Cody Fenton will conduct this last town hall meeting. All residents and community members are encouraged to attend to learn more information about the proposed new animal code from the Branson Police Department and will be able to ask questions or voice any concerns.

This particular proposed ordinance change to the animal code results from many years of public, elected officials, and staff interaction, dating back to 2018. That’s when the Branson Police Department absorbed the Animal Control responsibilities from the Taney County Health Department. At that time, the Board of Aldermen asked the Police Department to update the current animal ordinance, which is severely outdated and doesn’t take into account public safety or pet health. The Board also asked the Police Department to come up with a streamlined pet reunification process. The proposed new animal code is the culmination of 18 months of research and collaboration with area animal control units, other municipalities, zoological associations, the Missouri Department of Agriculture and the Missouri Municipal League.

You can find the current animal ordinance in Chapter 14 of the Branson Municipal Codebook, here.

You can find the proposed animal ordinance in its entirety, here.