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1. How many pets are allowed?

St. Peters allows a total of three pets in any combination of dogs, cats or domestic others:

• A dog, cat or domestic other each count as one pet.
• Five chinchillas, guinea pigs or other rodents over the age of three months, or any combination thereof, shall count as one pet unit.
• Five hamsters, mice or other small rodent-related mammals over the age of three months shall constitute one pet unit.
• In addition to the three pets, two additional foster pets are allowed. To be recognized as a fostered pet the animal must be obtained from an animal shelter registered by the Missouri Department of Agriculture through the Animal Care Facilities Act.
• A litter of puppies or a litter of kittens are exempted from the pet limit calculation until the pets reach the age of four months. Only one litter of either puppies or kittens is exempted from the pet limit calculation at any time.

2. Is there a leash law for cats?

The leash law applies to cats as well as dogs. All animals must be kept on a leash at all times when off the owner's property, or be restrained on the owner's property.

3. What can be done about my neighbor's dog barking all the time?

Some dogs may feel more responsibility to protect their home when their owner is not there and may be a problem barker only when the neighbors are gone. You can help by letting your neighbors know when their dog's barking is a problem. Your neighbor may not be aware and chances are if you tell them, they will take steps to resolve the annoyance.

You can report the problem to Animal Control. Please leave your name, address and phone number. It is difficult to solve these problems without a known complainant whom we can call and ask questions of during the investigation.

We will speak to the pet owner, notifying them of the concern and offering them the option of using our no-bark collars. If the problem continues after we have spoken to them twice, you will be asked to sign a formal complaint and video tape the dog barking or have one or more neighbors sign a complaint with you. At that time, we will issue a summons for the pet owner to appear in court. You and any other complainants will be required to appear to testify on the complaint.

4. What kind of licensing is required in St. Peters?

Your pet is required to have a current rabies shot given by a licensed veterinarian who will issue you a County license tag to be worn on the pet's collar at all times. Even pets that do not go outside are required to have a County rabies tag on. These tags allow us to find you in the event your pet becomes lost and return him/her to you, as well as confirm that the pet is current on the rabies vaccination. We get many calls from people who have lost an indoor pet that they didn't have a rabies tag on.

We also recommend a personalized ID tag, as most people who find a pet will try to call the owner first before having it picked up by Animal Control.

5. If my pet gets loose accidentally, do I still have to pay a fine?

Yes, even if your pet escapes by accident, you will be charged a fine to claim it from the holding facility.

6. What can I do about suburban wildlife causing problems for me and my property?

For more information, view our "Make Your Home Less Appealing to Nuisance Animals" Brochure (PDF).