City Ordinances Dealing with Animals

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Donate to the Shelter

Volunteer at the Shelter

The Animal Control Section of the Rolla Police Department is first and foremost charged with the safety of the Public; the protection of injured, abused or neglected animals and the responsibility of enforcing all laws pertaining to animals (both domestic and wild).

We are committed:

• To humanely capture any animal running at large, which in some way poses a threat to the peace, health or welfare of the community.
• To investigate any and all animal abuse and neglect.
• To impartially enforce all animal laws.
• Feed, shelter and care for animals that are lost, abandoned or when owners relinquish ownership.
• Provide animals the opportunity to be adopted into a loving family and be given a chance to live in a healthy environment.
• To humanely enforce Rabies Ordinances for the protection of human and animal life.
• To educate the Public about the animal over population and the duties of the animal control officer.

When adopting any animal from the Rolla Animal Shelter you will be asked to pay an adoption fee of $ 35.00 and to sign an adoption contract. In this contract you will be asked to agree to the following:

• I will provide humane care, giving the animal proper food, water, shelter and exercise.
• I will provide competent veterinary care, in case of illness or injury, and have all necessary vaccinations, including rabies, and other preventive care.
• I will have this animal spayed or neutered at or before the time specified (by animal control), and I will show proof of surgery to this adopting agency
• I will, as a RESIDENT OF THE CITY OF ROLLA (only), have the animal registered and vaccinated with an anti-rabies serum by a licensed veterinarian within the time so noted (if not already completed prior to adoption.)
• I will NOT allow anyone to use this animal for any experimental purposes whatsoever.
• I will return this animal to the Rolla Animal Shelter if, at any time, I am requested to do so by the Animal Control Officer because of my violation of the terms of this agreement, making no charges for its upkeep or for any other reasons.
• I agree that I will not attempt to hold the Rolla Animal Shelter responsible for any illness of the animal nor for any damages that the animal may do to any person or property.
• I accept that the information received regarding this animal is based on previous owner statements and may not be accurate.
• Owning a pet will not be in violation of rental or lease agreements.
• An Animal Control Officer or representative may check the living environment of this animal if deemed necessary.

If you adopt an adult animal you will be required to spay/neuter and vaccinate this animal within thirty (30) days; if you adopt a puppy or kitten you must spay/neuter the animal by the time it is six (6) month old and vaccinate the puppy or kitten by the time it is four (4) month old. Spaying/neutering an animal adopted from any shelter is a requirement pursuant to the sections 273.400 to 273.405 of the Animal Care and Facilities Act of the State of Missouri.

Unfortunately most of our animals are strays and their medical history is unknown to us. We are however able to perform a limited health and temperament evaluation before our animals are put up for adoption. We are not able to provide any guaranties and therefore any animal that shows health and/or temperament problems may be exchanged within a two (2) week period following the date of adoption.

Stray Animals

The Rolla Animal Control Division will humanely capture and impound any stray animal within the city limits of Rolla. If Animal Control picks up your pet, you may contact the Animal Control Officer, pay the impounding fees ($10.00 per day of impoundment), and have your pet released to you. In the event the pet is unclaimed within five (5) days, the animal will be evaluated for health and/or temperament problems and depending on the outcome of the evaluation may be offered for adoption to the public or humanely euthanized.

Owner Relinquished Animals

Rolla Citizens and Phelps County residents who wish to bring an animal to the shelter and relinquish ownership rights to the Rolla Animal Shelter, may do so during business hours which are Monday-Friday 12:00 - 4:00.

Rolla residents will be charged a fee of $10.00 for each animal that is relinquished. Phelps County residents will charged a fee of $45.00 for each animal relinquished or $65.00 for a mother with litter or litter only.

All owner relinquished animals must have a valid rabies vaccination tag and vaccination certificate.

Animals relinquished to the shelter will be evaluated for health and/or temperament problems and depending on the outcome of the evaluation may be offered for adoption to the public or humanely euthanized.

If you wish to relinquish an animal to the shelter, please call the shelter before bringing the animal to the shelter. Due to the high volume of animals relinquished to the shelter we may not have to room to accept your animal at that time and might have to reschedule the time you can bring your animal to us. This also will increase your animal chances of being adopted.

Other Services

Feral Cat Trapping and Rehabilitation

• With the use of live traps, feral cats are safely captured and housed at the Shelter. They are then evaluated, rehabilitated whenever possible, and offered for adoption to the public or humanely euthanized. If you have a feral cat problem in your neighborhood, you may contact the Animal Control Division and request the use of a live trap.
• Within the city limits of Rolla, the Animal Control Division, will pick up any trapped feral cats and attempted to rehabilitate them. Traps may be picked up at the Rolla Animal Shelter on Monday trough Friday from 12 PM to 4 PM.

Relinquishment, Euthanasia and Disposal services.

Under certain circumstances, which at the discretion of a Rolla Animal Control Officer, a legal owner (Rolla City residents only) of a domestic pet may request to relinquish the ownership of their pet to the Rolla Animal Shelter to be humanely euthanized by a Licensed Veterinarian.

The fees associated are $10 dollars for relinquishment, $10 for the euthanasia process, and $20 for the disposal fee. Please call and make arrangements before bringing the animal to the Rolla Animal Shelter. If remains are desired to be returned, contact a Veterinarian for that service.

Wildlife Relocation

• The Animal Control Division is no longer providing the service of removing wildlife from residences.

You Can Help Us!

The best way you can help us is to spay and neuter your pet.
Do you know, that for every person that is born, fifteen dogs and forty-five cats are also born. In order to keep up with the current flood of puppies and kittens, every person would have to own two dogs and six cats during their entire lifetime (assuming that people live for 75 years, and dogs and cats for 10). A household of five would have to harbor ten (10) dogs and thirty (30) cats!

Adoption alone is obviously not the answer: Altering is.

Do you know, that two (2) uncontrolled breeding cats plus all their kittens and their kittens' kittens, if none are ever neutered or spayed, add up to:

• 2 litters per year
• 2.8 surviving kittens per year
• 10 year breeding life
• in 10 years multiply to 80,399,780 cats.

PLEASE SPAY OR NEUTER YOUR DOGS AND CATS.

Humane Society of Missouri

You can come and visit us and adopt one of our animals. We have approximately 40-50 animal at the shelter at any given day. Every day new animals are brought in and we are sure that in time you can find the pet of your dreams.

You can donate the following items:

• Cat litter
• Leashes
• Collars
• Monetary Items

Contact Information