Des Moines’ elected leaders have eliminated first-time fees for reclaiming pets and late licensing for owners struggling to pay when picking up their dogs and cats from the city’s animal services shelter.
Des Moines City Council members at a meeting on Monday, March 23, unanimously approved eliminating the reclamation fees. The council also approved increased pet licensing and daily boarding fees.
The fee eliminations, first proposed at a January City Council work session, are meant to be less punitive for people who are violating the rules for the first time, said Steve Rohrer, director of community partnerships and animal service for the Animal Rescue League of Iowa, which operates the shelter. He added that the changes could increase pet reclamation percentages and shorten the length of animals’ stays at the shelter…