Shelbyville Mulls Significant Changes to Animal Control Ordinances

By Joshua Blevins

Shelbyville City Council convened another special workshop Tuesday to review the City of Shelbyville Municipal Code concerning Animal Control, a subject that led to significant discussion between council members and city officials. The main speaker at the workshop was Shelbyville Deputy Chief of Police Brian Crews, who asked the council to consider amending the Municipal Codes as related to Animal Control. Deputy Chief Crews also proposed the addition of a part-time kennel technician to help manage the increasing animal control workload.

The beginning of this discussion included a comparison between Shelbyville and Bedford County's animal control resources. Bedford County boasts 3 full-time animal control officers, 1 part-time administrative assistant, and 3 part-time kennel technicians, while Shelbyville relies on 3 full-time animal control officers and 1 part-time administrative assistant.

Despite these somewhat-similar staffing numbers, there is a stark contrast in service demand. From January through October 20th , Bedford County responded to 350 calls for service, whereas Shelbyville responded to a significantly higher 849 calls for service. These statistics underscored the need for additional animal control staff in the city.

The proposed changes to the city's ordinances, if adopted, would have a substantial impact. Notably, the ordinances would now impose significant restrictions on keeping roosters within city limits, a practice that has not been prohibited in the past. Complaints have been lodged by residents concerning their neighbors keeping chickens and roosters.

Under the proposal, roosters would be strictly prohibited, while chickens would still be allowed but with stricter conditions. Chickens would be required to be kept in a designated chicken coop. If the new ordinances are adopted, all roosters would need to be removed from city limits.

Councilman William Christie, in particular, expressed concerns about the presence of chickens and roosters in the city. He believes that the council should take a vote on the issue of keeping any chickens in residential areas. Additionally, Christie advocates for a change in policy regarding dogs tethered on chains in yards. He suggested that this too should be subject to a council vote.

As the discussions progress, it is clear that Shelbyville is at a crossroads when it comes to animal control regulations. The council faces the task of balancing the demands of the community, the enforcement of animal control, and the welfare of both animals and residents. Additional discussion will take place at next week’s study session. Stay tuned to Shelbyville NOW for updates.