Conway, AR Animal Ordinances: Wildlife Rescue Permits (2026)

Section 6.04.11.A treats kennels, animal rescue shelters, and wildlife rehabilitation operations the same way: none may operate without a current permit from the Conway Animal Welfare Unit. Permits cost nothing and are renewed yearly, but they can be denied or revoked if the operator does not comply with all applicable Conway ordinances, including the Zoning Ordinance, and if the premises does not stay within the maximum animal count the City Council sets for that specific operation, counting only animals twelve weeks or older. The same subsection requires the applicant to consent to random inspections and imposes detailed minimum facility standards: animal housing must be physically separated from areas where people prepare or store food or sleep, enclosures must protect against weather extremes and be built for cleaning and sanitizing, indoor housing must be heated and ventilated with fresh air, auxiliary cooling is required once ambient temperature reaches eighty-five degrees Fahrenheit, and all electrical wiring must meet city code.

A wildlife rehabilitator must also separately hold a current license from the Arkansas Game and Fish Department under the definition in Section 6.04.01. If the Animal Welfare Unit denies or revokes a permit, the operator can appeal to the City Council within ten days, which suspends enforcement of a revocation until the Council rules, and the Council can grant a variance from the minimum standards by a two-thirds vote under Section 6.04.11.C.