A.
No person owning, harboring, keeping or in charge of any animal shall
cause or allow such dog to soil, defile or defecate upon any other
person's private property without the permission of such other
person or upon any public property. Where such person shall immediately
remove all feces deposited by the dog and dispose of the same in a
sanitary manner, the nuisance created by defecation shall be considered
abated, and such person shall not be in violation of this article.
B.
Guide dogs accompanying a blind person, dogs used to assist any other
physically handicapped person or dogs used in any police or Fire Department
activities shall be exempt from provisions of this article.
A.
No person shall keep or harbor any animal in the township so as to
create offensive odors, excessive noise or unsanitary conditions which
are a menace to the health or safety of the public.
B.
Howling animals. Any animal, which by habitual barking, howling or
yelping, disturbs the peace or endangers the health or safety of persons
is creating a nuisance. It shall be unlawful for any owner or person
having custody of such animal(s) to permit it to create such nuisance.
A.
Any animal which scratches, digs or defecates upon any lawn, tree,
shrub, plant, building or any other public or private property, other
than the property of the owner or person in charge or control of such
animal, is considered to be a nuisance.
B.
No person being the owner or in charge or control of any animal shall
allow or permit such animal to commit a nuisance on any school grounds,
township park or other public property or upon any private property
other than that of the owner or person in charge or control of such
animal without the permission of the owner of such property. Where
the owner or person in charge or control of such animal immediately
removes all feces deposited by such animal and disposes of the same
in a sanitary manner, such nuisance shall be considered abated.
Animal runs must be kept clean and cannot drain onto premises
other than that of the owner or person in charge or control of such
animal(s).
A.
The provisions of this article shall be enforced by the Springfield
Township Police Department or any affected party in a private action
in District Court.
B.
In undertaking the enforcement of this article, the township is assuming
only to promote the general welfare. The township is not assuming,
nor is it imposing on any of its officers or employees, an obligation
for breach of which it is liable in money damages to any person who
claims that any breach proximately caused injury.
C.
A violation of this article shall not be considered negligence per
se.
A.
Except as provided in Subsection B below, any citizen may commence a civil action on his own behalf against any person except the township, commonwealth or United States, or any department or agency thereof, to enforce the provisions of this article.
B.
No action may be commenced under this subsection:
(1)
Prior to 30 days after the plaintiff has given written notice of
the alleged violation to the Chief of Police and to the alleged violator;
or
(2)
If the township has commenced and is diligently prosecuting a civil
or criminal proceeding against the alleged violator that incorporates
the citizen's cause of action.
C.
For the purpose of this section, the term "citizen" means any person
or persons having an interest which is or may be adversely affected.
Any person who shall violate any of the provisions of this article
shall be liable, on conviction thereof in a summary proceeding, to
pay a fine of not less than $25 nor more than $1,000 for each offense.
Whenever such person shall have been notified by service of a citation
in a summary proceeding, by service of a notice of violation by the
Police Department or by receipt of a written notification from an
affected person, that he or she is committing such violation of this
article, each day that he or she shall thereafter continue the violation
shall constitute a separate offense punishable by a like fine.
