If you own an exotic animal in the list in this proposed Benton ordinance, and if it passes through City Council eventually, you will have 30 days to “remove the animal from the city.” Read more below.

The Benton Animal Services Committee will meet Tuesday, May 12, 2026, immediately following the Commissions Committee meeting, which begins at 5:00 p.m.

The meeting will be held at Benton City Hall, located at 410 River Street in Benton.

Committee members are expected to receive an update on the newly constructed Benton Animal Services and Adoption Center at 606 W. Willow Street.

Previous updates indicated the facility was scheduled for turnover to the City in early 2026, with kennel installation beginning shortly thereafter.

The committee will also consider a proposed ordinance that would prohibit certain wild and dangerous animals within Benton city limits. Read the full ordinance at the end of this article.

If adopted, the ordinance would make it illegal to possess, harbor, or keep:

• Innately wild, non-domestic animals such as lions, tigers, bears, and wolves
• Non-human primates including monkeys and apes
• Venomous reptiles such as rattlesnakes, cobras, and copperheads

The proposal cites public safety concerns, stating that such animals pose a threat to the health, safety, and welfare of Benton residents.

Certain exemptions would apply under the ordinance, including:

• Licensed veterinarians providing temporary care
• Law enforcement or emergency responders
• Research facilities operating legally
• Circuses operating temporarily within the city

Individuals currently in possession of prohibited animals would have 30 days to remove them from the city if the ordinance is enacted.

The Benton Animal Services Committee includes:

• Chair Trevor Villines
• Vice Chair Jeff Hamm
• Staff Liaison Terry Parsons, Director of Animal Services
• Mallori Howard, Animal Services Manager

At a previous meeting in December 2025, the committee reviewed and approved ordinances related to animal shelter service rates and amendments to the city’s chicken ordinance.

FULL PROPOSED ANIMAL ORDINANCE:

ORDINANCE NO. ___ OF 2026

AN ORDINANCE PROHIBITING THE POSSESSION, HARBORING, MAINTENANCE, OR CONFINEMENT OF CERTAIN INNATELY WILD, NON-DOMESTIC ANIMALS, NON-HUMAN PRIMATES, AND VENOMOUS REPTILES WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS OF BENTON, ARKANSAS; PROVIDING EXEMPTIONS; PROVIDING FOR ENFORCEMENT, PENALTIES, AND OTHER REMEDIES; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

WHEREAS, the possession, harboring, maintenance, or confinement of dangerous wild animals and venomous reptiles within the city limits presents a threat to the public peace, health, safety, and welfare; and

WHEREAS, the City Council finds that the possession of such animals within the City is inconsistent with the public welfare of its citizens and that reasonable regulation and prohibition are necessary under the City’s police powers.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BENTON, ARKANSAS:

SECTION 1. Definitions.

For purposes of this Ordinance, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth below:

1. “Innately wild, non-domestic animal” means any live animal that is by nature wild and that is not normally domesticated in the United States, including without limitation bears; wolves and wolf hybrids; hyenas; and members of the cat family including lions, tigers, leopards, mountain lions, cougars, panthers, cheetahs, bobcats, ocelots, jaguars, lynx, and margays. The term does not include domestic breeds of dogs, cats, or ferrets.
2. “Non-human primate” means any monkey, ape, great ape, baboon, marmoset, gibbon, siamang, chimpanzee, orangutan, gorilla, or similar non-human primate species.
3. “Venomous reptile” means any reptile capable of inflicting envenomation, including without limitation cobras, kraits, coral snakes, sea snakes, vipers, adders, pit vipers, rattlesnakes, cottonmouths, copperheads, Gila monsters, beaded lizards, boomslangs, and twig snakes.
4. “Possess,” “harbor,” “maintain,” or “confine” includes owning, keeping, caring for, sheltering, controlling, boarding, breeding, transporting for more than twenty-four (24) hours, or otherwise exercising custody over an animal covered by this Ordinance.

SECTION 2. Prohibition.

Except as expressly provided in this Ordinance, no person, firm, partnership, association, corporation, or other entity shall possess, harbor, maintain, confine, breed, or keep any innately wild, non-domestic animal, non-human primate, or venomous reptile within the city limits of Benton, Arkansas.

SECTION 3. Exemptions.

This Ordinance shall not apply to the following, provided that the exempt person or entity remains in full compliance with all applicable federal and state permits, licenses, and laws:

1. A bona fide circus lawfully operating within the City for the limited duration of its authorized event;
2. A federal research facility, or a research facility as defined in 9 C.F.R. 1.1, to the extent authorized by law;
3. A licensed veterinarian or veterinary hospital providing temporary emergency or medical treatment;
4. A law enforcement agency, animal control agency, or emergency responder temporarily possessing an animal for public-safety, rescue, impoundment, or evidentiary purposes; and
5. Mere transport through the City, without overnight keeping, except where transport is otherwise unlawful.

SECTION 4. Existing Animals on Effective Date.

A person lawfully in possession of an animal prohibited by this Ordinance on the effective date of this Ordinance shall have thirty (30) days from the effective date to remove the animal from the City. During that thirty-day period, the person shall not breed, sell, transfer within the City, display to the public, or replace the animal, and shall keep the animal securely confined so as not to endanger any person or property.

SECTION 5. Enforcement; Additional Remedies.

1. The Benton Animal Services Department shall be primarily responsible for enforcement of this Ordinance and may coordinate with the Benton Police Department, Fire Department, emergency medical personnel, and other governmental agencies whenever necessary to protect public safety.
2. In addition to criminal enforcement, the City may pursue any lawful civil remedy, including injunctive relief, nuisance abatement, cost recovery, and any other remedy authorized by law.

SECTION 6. Penalties.

1. Any person or entity violating this Ordinance shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding the maximum penalty allowed by Arkansas Code Annotated 14-55-504, as amended.
2. If a violation is continuous in nature, each day the violation continues shall constitute a separate offense, subject to the maximum daily fine allowed by law.

SECTION 7. Relationship to Other Law.

This Ordinance is cumulative to and not in lieu of any applicable federal law, state law, regulation, permit requirement, or other City ordinance. Compliance with another law or permit shall not excuse a violation of this Ordinance unless this Ordinance expressly provides an exemption.

SECTION 8. Codification.

The City Council directs that the provisions of this Ordinance be incorporated into the Animal Control Code of the City of Benton, and the codifier is authorized to renumber sections and correct non-substantive formatting and cross-reference issues consistent with this Ordinance.

SECTION 9. Public Inspection.

The City Clerk shall maintain copies of this Ordinance available for public inspection as required by law.

SECTION 10. Repealer.

All ordinances and parts of ordinances in conflict herewith are hereby repealed to the extent of such conflict.

SECTION 11. Severability.

If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase, or portion of this Ordinance is for any reason held invalid or unconstitutional by a court of competent jurisdiction, that holding shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this Ordinance.

PASSED AND APPROVED this 27^th day of April, 2026.

____________________________________
Tom Farmer, Mayor

____________________________________
Cindy Stracener, City Clerk

 

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