Title
Consider/Discuss/Act on an Ordinance Amending Chapter 26, “Animal Control,” by Amending Section 26-35, “Domestic animals that exhibit rabies symptoms or reasonably indicate rabies symptoms”
Summary
COUNCIL GOAL: Operational Excellence
(2.2: Continuously provide a high level of customer service to our
citizens)
MEETING DATE: July 21, 2026
DEPARTMENT: Code Services
CONTACT: Phillip Hubbard, Director of Code Services
Hannah Golden, Animal Services Manager
RECOMMENDED CITY COUNCIL ACTION:
• Adoption of the proposed ordinance.
ITEM SUMMARY:
• Currently, City ordinance prevents Home Quarantine (Confinement) of pets involved in a Local Rabies Control Incident (Bite) if there are other animals residing in the animal owner’s residence, or the victim of the incident (person bitten, scratched, or otherwise exposed) does not live at the same residence as the animal.
• The proposed ordinance amendments would remove the above specificities unique to McKinney, and would align with the state minimal requirements for Home Confinement as outlined in the Texas State Administrative Code, requiring secure confinement of the Quarantined animal, a current rabies vaccine at the time of exposure for animals over 16 weeks of age, custodian monitoring and immediate notification of Animal Services if behavior or health change is noted during the quarantine period, observation of the animal on at least the first and last days of Home Confinement, and the animal was not at large as defined in city ordinance Sec. 26-14 at the time of the bite.
• Animals with a history of prior bite incidents would remain ineligible for Home Confinement.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
• In 2025, the McKinney Animal Services Department handled 276 Local Rabies Control Incidents. At 10 days of required quarantine per incident, this represents 2,760 total days where animals required accommodation.
• Options for Quarantine isolation are defined by the state as a department-licensed quarantine facility specified by the local rabies control authority, a veterinary clinic, or home confinement if minimum criteria are met. For the city of McKinney, the Collin County Animal Shelter is considered the department-licensed quarantine facility, there is only one veterinary clinic that currently has reliable capacity for isolation, and home confinement eligibility is further restricted by local ordinance requirements that exceed state minimums.
• The Collin County Animal Shelter is regularly over capacity with routine service. With only 6 Quarantine kennels available for dogs and 9 Quarantine kennels for cats, the shelter can only accommodate approximately 547 total animals in Quarantine in a single year. The total number of McKinney incidents for 2025 alone would have accounted for roughly half the shelter's annual quarantine capacity.
• Staff estimate that roughly 50% of all incidents reported for the year 2025 would have met state minimum criteria for Home Confinement, which would have represented a significant reduction in demand for county shelter capacity.
• McKinney Animal Services staff routinely address incidents that meet state minimums for Home Confinement, but do not meet McKinney’s requirements. In these instances, unless an exception is made by the Local Rabies Control Authority, the animal must be quarantined at the shelter or vet clinic.
• Staff also address incidents involving animal owners on low or fixed incomes, for whom additional ordinance requirements create barriers to Home Confinement. Currently, the City of McKinney does not impose a fee for Home Confinement. Conversely, facility quarantine can cost residents anywhere from $200-$500 depending on the facility used.
• The additional local ordinance requirements examined above result in unnecessary costs to residents and undue demand on county shelter capacity in cases where animals would otherwise qualify for Home Confinement under state minimums.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY:
• N/A
BOARD OR COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION:
• N/A