SPRINGFIELD - The City Council approved numerous revisions to the city's animal control ordinance last week, aimed at offering greater protections to animals, ranging from strays to abused pets.

Pamela Peebles, executive director of the Thomas J. O'Connor Animal Control and Adoption Center in Springfield, praised the vote, saying the regulations are clearer and more modern, assisting animal control officers when checking on the well-being of animals or responding to complaints.

In a key change, animal control officers are specifically given the right to impound a dog if there is an "imminent risk" in cases of extreme weather, such as extreme heat or cold conditions, Peebles said.

The ordinance states in part that "where, in the opinion of an animal control officer, any treatment of a dog in violation of this ordinance places the dog at imminent risk, the animal control officer may immediately remove and impound the dog for its own protection."

The officers already have powers to impound animals for other forms of mistreatment.

In addition, the ordinance continues to provide for fines for "cruel conditions," including extreme weather, filthy conditions, and hitting and harassing.

In another change intended to enhance the welfare of animals, "no person shall chain or tether a dog to a stationary object for longer than 12 consecutive hours," the revised ordinance states. There are fines for violations.

Peebles said another key change was to shorten the time that a stray dog is held by the animal control center from the current 10 days to seven days, stating that most pets are reclaimed within 48 hours if going to be reclaimed. While some may view the change as a "sad" change, three less days of impoundment actually allows the center to move more quickly with adoption efforts, Peebles said.

"It is done solely to benefit the animals," Peebles said. "We hope it's three days less of homeless."

Peebles said she is also pleased with a change that allows families to keep up to four sterilized dogs as pets, compared to the current limit of three dogs.

"There are really good people who have four dogs and are taking awesome care of them," Peebles said. "It really made sense."

The ordinance also "strengthens and more clearly defines" the definitions of a dangerous animal or nuisance animal, which allowed the city to remove a provision for "potentially dangerous" animal, more difficult to define, Peebles said.

In another change, an advisory and hearing committee, that conducts dangerous dog hearings, was adjusted to add one more resident to the make-up. Three members of the five-member committee will continue to be the city clerk, police commissioner, and council president, (or their designees), with the final two being residents appointed by the mayor.

Previously, there was one resident and a member of Springfield Kennel Club, but it was favored to replace the kennel designee with a resident, Peebles said.