ACTION ALERT: Branson, MO

Sep 25, 2019 | 2019 Blog

UPDATE 5/19/21: The most recently announced meeting is for Ward l and will take place on May 22 at 10:30 a.m. at the Clay Cooper Theater, located at 3216 W. 76 Country Blvd.

UPDATE 5/1/21: This ordinance is still being discussed and here is a new article on the matter. Any local residents should meet with their Alderperson and educate him/her on the matter. Article link: https://www.bransontrilakesnews.com/news_free/article_339798e0-a9d4-11eb-ba12-c776bc572404.html

The final ordinance has been postponed. There will be upcoming town hall meetings and a new draft may be heard in August.

NOTE: The new ordinance originally included a ban on all “exotic” animals (with a broad definition) and a pet limit of 4 dogs/cats. There have been some changes but the ordinance is still overreaching.

Read the draft at https://usark.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/2021-Branson.pdf.

New changes include:

  • Ban on boas, pythons, and anacondas that may reach over 6′. NOTE: The ordinance states it bans any species that “has the potential to exceed six (6) feet in length.” This is not a ban on snakes over 6′ but even 2′ snakes that MAY reach 6′.
  • Ban on green and rock iguanas.
  • Ban on venomous snakes.
  • The definition for exotic animal is very broad and the included list of examples is “not to be construed as an exhaustive list or limitation.” That means even species not listed can be immediately confiscated or euthanized by law enforcement.
  • Limit of 6 dogs, cats, or ferrets, or any combination.
  • The ordinance does state that current owners of prohibited species will be provided a “special animal permit” allowing them to keep current animals but not attain new ones. However, the justification for the ban is still absent.

Branson, Missouri is discussing amendments to its animal ordinance. Changes include a sweeping ban on “exotic” animals (vague language which could be enforced upon anything not considered domesticated) and a pet limit for dogs and cats of six total animals.

Pet owners in Branson should contact their officials immediately before this bad proposal proceeds. Remember to be civil and professional when contacting officials. They need to be educated on the topic. Even the information provided directly by city officials for the article is vague and this proposal is rife with unintended consequences due to lack of forethought.

Sample Letters

Local residents should identify their representative Aldermen and contact them directly, letting them know you are stakeholders in their wards.

Link to Aldermen with phone numbers: www.cityofbranson.org/Directory.aspx?did=4

Email list: lmilton@bransonmo.gov, bskains@bransonmo.gov, ccooper@BransonMO.gov, jseay@bransonmo.gov, cfenton@bransonmo.gov, jwhiteis@bransonmo.gov, rdenham@BransonMO.gov

Additionally, you can submit comments through the website at www.cityofbranson.org/FormCenter/Report-A-7/General-Comments-Concerns-Compliments-an-58.

Subject line: Opposition to Chapter 14 Animal Ordinance changes

Sample Emails/Letters
please edit/personalize

LONG LETTER

Mayor Milton and Branson Board of Aldermen,

As a responsible animal owner, I encourage you to work with responsible stakeholders and further research your proposed amendments to Chapter 14 regarding animals. While I appreciate the changes thus far, this remains an overreach. This remains an ordinance that punishes responsible citizens and misses the mark on being a law focused on criminals. It is also glaringly evident that experts have not been consulted as the ordinance actually lists iguanas and bearded dragons as “non-venomous amphibians.” They are actually reptiles and far different than amphibians.

The new draft still holds a broad and vague definition for “exotic animal” and allows for nearly any non-domesticated species to be included. The draft includes examples but clearly states other species can be included at the whim of an enforcement officer.

I find Sec. 14-181. titled Intent to be very disturbing. This is fear-mongering at its finest. It is not scientific nor supported by logic or valid statistics.

Additionally frightening is Sec. 14-182. The revision clearly states that these “examples and are not to be construed as an exhaustive list or limitation.” Essentially, due to this vague and broad language, this ordinance can be enforced upon nearly any species of exotic animal.

Here are a few examples, but not an exhaustive list, of the overreach and lack of research:

  1. You are banning Phyllobates terribils. This species and others are commonly called poison dart frogs. However, they are only poisonous in the wild due to their diet on certain native insects. They are not poisonous when kept under human care as the insects fed to them are vastly different.
  2. The ban on iguanas is particularly disturbing. Since this is just an example and not a “limitation,” it opens the door for nearly any lizard species to be “immediately confiscated” by law enforcement. Iguanas and other lizards do not qualify as the public health and safety risks the City is claiming to be saving its residents from.
  3. The City is banning pythons, boas, and anacondas that may reach over 6′ in length. This is once again unjust. There is no evidence to support that these species pose a public safety risk. There is a simple alternative to require proper caging and responsible care instead of this overreaching ban.
  4. The proposal bans some large monitors. Yes, they can be large but once again there is no evidence to support they pose a public safety risk.

It seems this ban is based on irrational fears and misinformation. The City should consult legitimate subject matter experts regarding the proposed ban. I do appreciate the grandfather provision via the special animal permit, but the proposed ordinance remains unjust.

Please reconsider this overreaching ordinance and seek public input from those who keep these animals. Thank you for your time and have a good day.

Sincerely,

YOUR NAME

SHORT LETTER

Mayor Milton and Branson Board of Aldermen,

I ask that you further investigate your proposed changes to Chapter 14 regarding pets as a responsible pet owner. These changes will negatively impact many Branson citizens and I do not feel enough research has gone into the matter.

Many common pet species will be banned under this proposal. For instance, pet reptiles are found in 5% of U.S. households and this ordinance would ban many commonly kept species including iguanas, , and others. Additionally, pet limits have been shown to be impractical and ineffective.

Please rethink this proposal and do not take an unconstitutional, collective punishment approach. This is not what I would expect to see here in Missouri. Have a good day.

YOUR NAME

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