The Adams County Administration & Finance Committee reviewed draft Ordinance No. 145, which updates animal-control language and asks the committee to set licensing fees and related penalties.

Liana summarized current charges: "neutered male or spayed female is $8 upon presentation of the evidence that dog is neutered or spayed and $13 for an unneutered male dog or unspayed female dog." Committee members questioned why the county separates fees by sex and suggested simplifying to two tiers: animals that are neutered/spayed versus not.

Members repeatedly raised concerns about enforcement and low registration rates. Supervisor Poehler noted, "less than 10% of the dogs in the county are registered anyway," and said raising fees may reduce registrations further. Staff said enforcement responsibilities are moving to planning and zoning to improve compliance, and that penalties exist for violations of chapter 174, with a proposed $50 late fee for rabies-related noncompliance and fines up to $500 for violations of chapter 174.

Staff told the committee that changing fees now would cause confusion because municipalities have already printed tax bills. Staff proposed that, if the committee wanted higher fees, any increase could be adopted now but made effective Jan. 1, 2027. The committee generally agreed to keep current fees in the ordinance and asked staff to return in January for formal approval and to report on ticketing and enforcement outcomes after six months.

The draft ordinance also included a proposed reimbursement limit of $1,000 from the license fund for owners of domestic animals injured or killed by dogs; staff sought committee input on whether to cap reimbursement at that amount.

Why this matters: fees and enforcement shape compliance, animal welfare outcomes and county revenue for the program and contracted humane services.