Animal Control Issues
At the current time, Linn County Sheriff's Office does not have a dedicated Animal Control Division or officer.
Linn County, like most rural counties in Missouri, relies on state law to guide our citizens when it comes to animal control issues.
Missouri has various statutes, and many towns have local ordinances governing animal control / care. If you are an animal owner, it is your responsibility to ensure that you are familiar with these statutes and ordinances.
RSMo 270.010 through 270.400, 578.005 through 578.050, and 578.170 through 578.188 all address various aspects concerning animal control, etc.
Our Road Patrol deputies respond to an extraordinary number of livestock and household animal related complaints each year.
Missouri Revised Statute Chapters 270 and 273 covers domestic animals and dogs and cats.
Chapter 270 identifies livestock as domestic animals.
Such livestock are not permitted to roam free and citizens who wish to keep livestock are required to provide adequate fencing or structure for confinement.
Whether it is due fencing damaged during storms, flooding, etc. or simply inadequate fencing, livestock roaming unhindered can cause severe damage. Neighboring landowners can be forced to deal with destruction of crops, property, and injury from roaming livestock. One of the biggest concerns is the possibility of a motor vehicle accident resulting in injuries or death due to livestock being in the roadways.
If you currently own livestock or are looking into purchasing livestock, remember that you are required to provide adequate fencing or structures to keep the livestock confined to your property.
Repeated calls and failure to provide adequate fencing may result in a summons to court and potentially the seizure of livestock.
To help assist when situations like those mentioned above occur,
we have asked that farm owners complete the Farm Contact Information form HERE.
Household animals such as dogs and cats are the cause of the majority of our animal-related calls.
Strangely enough dogs and cats are not defined under Chapter 270 as domesticated animals.
Linn County government does not have animal ordinances related to controlling pets such as cats and dogs.
While we are a rural area and many allow their animals to roam free, this can tend to cause hardships for others when those animals wander beyond your property.
Many of the rural towns and communities have an organized municipal government that will hear complaints regarding pets being allowed to roam free. Missouri law permits these government bodies to pass ordinances regulating pets. Some of our smaller towns have ordinances or have attempted to address this issue. However, as with many things, the costs of such enforcement often limits their ability to install and act on such ordinances.
A substantial number of calls each year are about pets roaming free and doing such things as invading a neighbor's trash, trespassing, chasing livestock, scaring children, and / or fighting with other animals. Unfortunately, our office has limited enforcement and legal authority to help with many of these complaints. Many times, these complaints can be managed and resolved more quickly by addressing the issue with the animal owner. Those complaints that cannot be resolved with the owner and that we are unable to assist with may be resolved in civil court. Even in those situations where we have limited authority, we are always happy and willing to work with our citizens and animal owners to help in any way we can.
When a vicious animal is reported we take every action possible to work with the animal owner on confining the vicious animal. Vicious animal calls receive a high level of priority from this office.
Missouri Revised Statutes 578.009 and 578.012 address the crimes of animal abuse, abandonment, and neglect.
Potentially, citizens who do not maintain proper control of their animal (including dogs and cats) may be summoned to Court. This can also result in the seizure of the animal(s) and the owner/possessor being responsible for the costs of care and housing for the animal(s).
REMINDER: Missouri has various statutes, and many towns have local ordinances governing animal control / care. If you are an animal owner, it is your responsibility to ensure that you are familiar with these statutes and ordinances. RSMo 270.010 through 270.400, 578.005 through 578.050, and 578.170 through 578.188 all address various aspects concerning animal control, etc.
If you are interested in adopting a pet or need to relinquish ownership of a pet,
please contact the Linn County Humane Society at (660) 258-3322.
Missouri has specific law covering the keeping of exotic animals and mandates certain animals be registered with the sheriff's office:
Keeper of dangerous wild animals must register animals, exceptions--penalty.
578.023. 1. No person may keep any lion, tiger, leopard, ocelot, jaguar, cheetah, margay, mountain lion, Canada lynx, bobcat, jaguarundi, hyena, wolf, bear, nonhuman primate, coyote, any deadly, dangerous, or poisonous reptile, or any deadly or dangerous reptile over eight feet long, in any place other than a properly maintained zoological park, circus, scientific, or educational institution, research laboratory, veterinary hospital, or animal refuge, unless such person has registered such animals with the local law enforcement agency in the county in which the animal is kept.
2. Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a class C misdemeanor.
