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City drops proposal of limiting number of cats and dogs in Grand Rapids’ households

Posted at 8:43 AM, Mar 15, 2017
and last updated 2017-03-15 11:34:36-04

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The City of Grand Rapids has withdrawn a controversial agenda item that would have presented a city ordinance to limit the number of cats and dogs that residents could keep in a home.

The city has cancelled the March 28 Public Hearing on the ordinance.

The city says that Commissioner Dave Shaffer requested that the city pause action on the resolution after feedback the city received when the ordinance was first discussed last week.  The city says they received feedback from residents and animal welfare groups that the ordinance would not "address the issues around hoarding and care of animals" in the best way.

"An ordinance simply limiting the number of pets may not be the best solution," Shaffer said in a press statement.

The city does not currently have any limits on how many cats and/or dogs that can live in one Grand Rapids location.  The city has not set a new date to present the ordinance.