Minneapolis City Council is due to vote on removing a rule that requires some people with past felony convictions to obtain a permit before owning larger or potentially dangerous animals. Supporters say the policy is unnecessarily restrictive and can hinder people rebuilding their lives after prison, while the city would retain powers to restrict ownership where there are safety or welfare concerns.

Since 2008, the ordinance has required people convicted of drug, murder, assault or burglary offences to pay $250 for a permit to own an animal over 20lb or deemed potentially dangerous. The proposed “Bark Down Barriers” amendment would remove this requirement for “justice-impacted” residents, but would allow refusals for animal-cruelty convictions or crimes involving animals; of 18 applications since 2020, 11 were approved and seven denied. If approved by the full council on 27 August, the change would take effect almost immediately.