Local Animal Odinances and Etiquette

Following Local Dog Ordinances in Kanab

While living in or visiting Kanab, you will inevitably come across dogs wandering freely around town. You will also see dogs riding unsecured in the back of pickup trucks, even flatbed trucks. Like many rural towns in America, Kanab is slow to change when it comes to care of dogs. This takes some getting used to.

Throughout the history of “outsiders” moving into Kane County to work at Best Friends, well-intentioned employees and visitors have picked up stray dogs and brought them to the sanctuary, thinking they were “rescuing” them. More often than not, however, these dogs do belong to someone. When this sort of thing happens, Best Friends must take steps to fix the misunderstanding. To avoid these misunderstandings, we have developed a clear method for dealing with these situations.

Stray and free-roaming dogs must be reported to animal control. Kanab has one animal control officer who works out of the Kanab City Police Department. Kane County has one person who assists with animal control. This is the same person who also has jurisdiction over Coconino County, Arizona, and the town of Fredonia, Arizona. Below are the steps you should take to help Best Friends maintain friendly relations with the residents of Kane County.

(While cats may not be specifically mentioned in local “a large” ordinances, please do not pick up free roaming cats. Most are family pets who are given outdoor access.)

If you see a dog who seems to be running loose in Kanab:
1. Do not pick up the dog and bring him to the sanctuary. If you do, you could be accused of stealing a family’s dog. Theft is illegal and will not be tolerated.
2. Instead, report the dog to animal control by calling police department dispatch at (435) 644-2349. If you think that the dog is in imminent danger, you may offer to keep the dog at your residence until the owner can be found, but you must inform the police department of your intention. Make sure that you give clear contact information. Again, do not bring the dog to the sanctuary.
3. If you determine that the dog might have life-threatening injuries, report the situation to animal control, as well as the Best friends Clinic (435-644-2001 Ext. 210).

If you see a dog outside the city limits, but within Kane County:
1. Call dispatch at (435) 644-2349 and report the location of the dog.
2. Do not pick up the dog. Do not bring the dog to the sanctuary.
3. If you determine that the dog might have life-threatening injuries, report the situation to animal control, as well as the Best Friends Clinic.