Focus Area: Quality of Life and Legal
Staff Contact: Mike Sirna; James Brackett; Ron Shaver; Bob Gallimore
Subject: Proposed amendments to Title 8 and 9 of the Olathe Municipal Code pertaining to animals.
________________________________________________________________________________
title:
title
Report regarding proposed amendments to Titles 8 and 9 of the Olathe Municipal Code pertaining to animals.
Body
________________________________________________________________________________
Summary:
Over the last year, staff has prepared comprehensive revisions to Title 8 of the Olathe Municipal Code (“O.M.C.”), which governs animal care and control in the City. The revisions can be found in the proposed Ordinance 25-XX (Attachment A), and a section-by-section summary of the revisions is also attached (Attachment B).
The proposed revisions include:
• Aligning the O.M.C. cruelty to animals and dog fighting sections with state law, while retaining existing Olathe-specific provisions. The relevant state statutes are attached (Attachment C).
• Updating requirements related to rabies and animal care to reflect current state regulations and best practices.
• Combining all provisions related to unsanitary conditions into a single section;
• Creating a reckless animal owner designation to address owners of animals responsible for ongoing violations.
• Reorganizing and updating sections throughout Title 8 to reflect current practices of the Olathe Animal Shelter and Animal Care and Control.
• Making nonsubstantive edits throughout Title 8 for clarity and consistency in style and wording.
________________________________________________________________________________
Financial Impact:
None.
________________________________________________________________________________
Action Needed:
Accept the report. Unless directed otherwise, staff will prepare the ordinance for formal consideration on August 19, 2025.
________________________________________________________________________________
Attachment(s):
A - Ordinance No. 25-XX
B - Summary of Proposed Changes
C - Kansas statutes