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MOUNT PLEASANT聽性视界传媒� Mount Pleasant leaders soon could adopt new animal-related ordinances aimed at decreasing the city性视界传媒檚 stray animal population.

City Council members and city residents discussed the proposed ordinances during a workshop Monday, and most participants voiced support for the changes. Police Chief Mark Buhman presented the ordinances to the council in February, but members didn性视界传媒檛 adopt them then, citing a lack of feedback from community members.

Like other places throughout East Texas and the South, Mount Pleasant residents have raised concerns about the area性视界传媒檚 population of stray and loose animals. The Mount Pleasant Animal Care and Adoption Center took in 2,300 animals in 2024, and about 1,000 were euthanized聽性视界传媒� roughly 43%, Buhman said.

The city of Longview implemented new animal-related ordinances in February, including one that requires the spaying and neutering of pets unless the pet qualifies for an exemption or its owner obtains a permit allowing the pet to stay intact.

Mount Pleasant性视界传媒檚 would range from requiring pets to have microchips to prohibiting people from feeding stray animals.

Here性视界传媒檚 what each ordinance would do:

Microchip requirement for all pets

The first proposed ordinance would require owners to have a microchip implanted in their pets (ages four months and older) if the animal is kept within the city limits.

Microchips are tiny, inexpensive devices implanted beneath a pet性视界传媒檚 skin that contain a unique identification number. When a pet is lost and picked up by animal control, officers can scan the device, which will show the identification number. Ultimately, that number can be used to track down a pet性视界传媒檚 owner. Microchips do not transmit GPS information and can性视界传媒檛 be used to locate an animal.

By requiring pets to have a microchip, animal control officers might be able to reduce the number of animals they have to take to the animal shelter, Buhman said, as the animals could be found and returned to their owners without a trip to the shelter. The chips also could be used to hold accountable people who choose to 性视界传媒渄ump性视界传媒� their animals, he said.

Under the proposed ordinance, pet owners would have 30 days after they take ownership of a pet or move into the city limits to have microchips implanted in their animals. If a licensed veterinarian certifies in writing that an animal cannot undergo a microchip procedure for medical reasons, the pet would be exempt from the requirement, though residents would have to provide that information to the city性视界传媒檚 animal services manager.

Local veterinarians install microchips regularly, and the Mount Pleasant Animal Care and Adoption Center offered microchips for free in February.

Ban on selling animals in public places

The second proposed ordinance would ban people from selling or giving away animals in a public place and would bar property owners from letting the transactions take place. The ordinance is meant to prohibit people from selling litters of dogs in store parking lots, Buhman said, as pets sold in such a way don性视界传媒檛 have to be vaccinated, registered or spayed or neutered.

性视界传媒淚t shall be unlawful for any person to advertise, display for purposes of sale or ownership change, transfer ownership, offer to transfer ownership, lease, sell, rent, or give away any animal, regardless of age, on any roadside, public right of way, commercial parking lot, garage sale, flea market, festival, park, community center or outdoor public place within the city limits of Mount Pleasant,性视界传媒� the proposed ordinance reads.

The ordinance does not apply to city-owned animal facilities, licensed pet stores, non-profit animal rescue organizations or livestock sales.

Ban on feeding strays

The third proposed ordinance bans people from feeding stray animals or leaving food outside with the intent to feed them.

性视界传媒淲e understand that some people have some stray cats and dogs that they like to feed, but it has a tendency to attract other animals, like raccoons, possums and other four-legged creatures that sometimes carry rabies and other diseases,性视界传媒� Buhman said.

The ordinance would not affect people who are trying to trap a wild animal as long as they are doing so 性视界传媒渋n a legally authorized and permitted manner,性视界传媒� the ordinance reads.

Spay/neuter impounded, adopted animals

While not a new ordinance, a city ordinance could be amended to require pets impounded by animal control officers to be spayed or neutered. The change is expected to help prevent future breeding by stray animals, Buhman said.

Within 30 days after adopting or retrieving an animal from the shelter, owners would have to provide animal control officials proof that the animal has been spayed or neutered聽性视界传媒� or that the animal was spayed or neutered prior to impoundment. The proof must be a completed sterilization form signed by an animal services employee and the veterinarian who performed the operation.

The ordinance would not apply to animals that are registered with a national registry; are certified members of a breed club, hunting club or sporting club; are professionally trained assistance or police service animals; and animals that were stray or at large 性视界传媒渄ue to forces of nature, fire, or the criminal act of a third party who was not residing at the animal owner性视界传媒檚 residence and there is documented proof from a city or county official stating the fact,性视界传媒� the ordinance reads.

Violation of the ordinances could be a Class C misdemeanor, which is punishable by a fine. Council members could vote to adopt the ordinances in the near future.

Residents respond

Several people spoke in favor of the ordinances during Tuesday's meeting. Kim Hanes, who is raising funds to host a spay/neuter clinic for animals, said other cities and counties in Texas have ordinances similar to those Mount Pleasant officials are considering adopting.

Hanes supports the ordinances, saying the city must do more to protect animals and control the stray population. She called the ordinances a 性视界传媒渟tarting point.性视界传媒�

性视界传媒淲e are supposed to be good stewards of what God gives us, and He gave us these animals, and we're supposed to take care of them,性视界传媒� Hanes said. 性视界传媒淩ight now, we are failing them miserably in the county and in the city.性视界传媒�

Elaine Tipping with the said the city should implement a mandatory spay/neuter ordinance. She agreed with the proposed microchip requirement.

The city animal shelter and the rescue organization are often full of animals, she said. While the city animal shelter does not close its intake, the rescue sometimes has to turn people away because it cannot handle more animals.

性视界传媒淲e've got to stop the bleeding,性视界传媒� Tipping said. 性视界传媒淚t性视界传媒檚 like putting a Band-Aid on an arterial bleed.性视界传媒�

Krystal Ann Tronboll, who operates a nonprofit rescue for ex-military and police dogs near Mount Pleasant , voiced support for the ordinances as well. She said people should quit supporting 性视界传媒渂ackyard breeding性视界传媒� operations that produce dogs that aren性视界传媒檛 registered, vaccinated or given proper healthcare. Those are the types of people who sell dogs in front of local stores聽性视界传媒� the outfits the second proposed ordinance targets.

Jimmy Vaughn said he hasn性视界传媒檛 seen a problem with loose dogs in Mount Pleasant and that most residents take good care of their animals.

性视界传媒淭his is silly,性视界传媒� he said. 性视界传媒淢ount Pleasant, Texas, does not have a problem in the city limits. We have more of a feral cat problem in the city of Mount Pleasant than we do dog problems.性视界传媒�