A person commits the offense of keeping a dangerous wild animal if he or she keeps any lion, tiger, leopard, ocelot, jaguar, cheetah, margay, mountain lion, Canada lynx, bobcat, jaguarundi, hyena, wolf, bear, non-human primate, coyote, any deadly, dangerous, or poisonous reptile, or any deadly or dangerous reptile over eight (8) feet long, in any place other than a properly maintained zoological park, circus, scientific, or educational institution, research laboratory, veterinary hospital, or animal refuge.
[R.O. 2013 §205.030; CC 1984 §6-17; Ord. No. 298 §§1 — 7, 6-3-1955; Ord. No. 1692 §1, 2-6-2006; Ord. No. 1890 §§1 — 2, 5-10-2012; Ord. No. 2139, 10-16-2023]
A. The keeping, sheltering, and maintaining of any ducks, geese, turkeys, pigeons or other domestic fowl on residential property or on any public place is hereby declared to be a public nuisance and is prohibited.
B. The keeping of chickens shall be allowed on all detached single-family lots under the following conditions, restrictions, and regulations:
1. Permits And Fees. Upon application submitted with a ten dollar ($10.00) application fee per household, the City may issue a permit if, after inspection, it is shown that the location and facilities provided comply with all regulations as set forth in this Section.
2. Chickens Allowable.
a. No chickens shall be allowed in multi-family complexes, including condominiums, apartments, and duplexes.
b. No roosters shall be allowed.
3. Enclosure/Containment Requirements.
a. Chickens are not permitted to run at large.
b. Chickens may not be kept inside the habitable areas of the dwelling.
c. A coop with a roof must be provided with a minimum square footage of three (3) square feet per bird. Design and construction of coop is to be reviewed and approved by the City. An outdoor pen must be provided.
d. A pen must not be located indoors, including in a garage, basement, cellar, or accessory structure. It may not be located in the front yard.
e. An outdoor coop used exclusively for chickens will not count towards the maximum number of accessory structures allowed.
4. Maintenance Of Sanitary Conditions.
a. All shelters, chicken coops, aviaries, or other outbuildings, any appurtenances thereto where any domestic animals permitted by the City are kept on either a temporary or a permanent basis shall be maintained so that the premises are in a clean and sanitary condition and free from all obnoxious smells or substances; otherwise, they shall be deemed to be a public nuisance. The owner of the premises and the tenant and custodian must promptly comply with orders of the City and/or the St. Louis County Department of Health in respect to any unsanitary condition found to exist.
b. The presence of numerous flies or the presence of fly larvae in the vicinity of any such premises, enclosures, or structures shall be evidence of a lack of sanitary maintenance of the premises and shall constitute a public nuisance.
c. Where manure will remain on the premises in excess of twenty-four (24) hours, a fly-proof receptacle shall be provided for containing such manure. Any unnecessary accumulation of debris, refuse, manure, or other removable material upon any surface within any such enclosed area or premises, or within any structure used or intended to be used for the housing of permitted domestic animals shall be evidence of a lack of sanitary maintenance of the premises, and shall constitute a public nuisance.
d. Any obnoxious odor or allergen arising from any condition existing within the enclosure or within any structure used or intended to be used for the housing of permitted domestic animals shall be evidence of a lack of sanitary maintenance of the premises, and shall constitute a public nuisance.
e. All premises, enclosures, or structures used or intended to be used for the keeping or housing of any such domestic animals permitted by the City shall be thoroughly cleaned and all debris, refuse, manure, or other removable material removed therefrom as often as may be necessary to effect satisfactory compliance with the provisions of this Article.
f. Deceased domestic animals and fowl must be disposed of either through burial or incineration in accordance with Federal, State, and County regulations.
g. All enclosures, refuse containers, and all feed containers intended for the use of domestic animals and fowl permitted by the City shall be constructed, maintained and kept in such a manner as to be completely rodent-proof. The floors of every such enclosure shall be smooth and tight, and maintained so as to prevent accumulation of filth or water or harboring of vermin thereunder.
5. Distance Regulations.
a. Outdoor pens, unless part of a boundary fence and coop, shall be situated a minimum often (10) feet from the property line.
b. Pen and coop design, materials and screening shall be subject to City approval for design, materials, and location.
6. Slaughtering. Any slaughtering of chickens shall not be visible on premises.
7. Miscellaneous Regulations.
a. No chickens are to be bred for sale or sell any of their by-products.
b. Chicken feed must be stored in rodent-proof containers.
8. Right Of Entry. As a condition of each permit issued hereunder, the Animal Control Officer, official of the City, official of the St. Louis County Department of Health, or any other person, firm, corporation, organization or agency with which the City has contracted according to the provisions of this Article, and Police Officers, while in pursuit of a domestic animal or fowl running at large outside their property, shall have the right of entry to any lots or lands, including those of the owner of such domestic animal, for the purpose of collecting any domestic animal found in violation of this Article.
9. Interference With Enforcement Officials. Any person who shall interfere with or obstruct a City Official in the reasonable performance of his/her duty in apprehending any domestic animal or fowl, or investigation under this Article, or any person who shall refuse to deliver up his/her domestic animal or fowl, upon request by a proper City Official, whenever such official has reasonable cause to believe that such animal or fowl is unlicensed or such permit for keeping the animal or fowl has been revoked under the provision of this Article shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be punished as hereinafter provided.
10. Penalty For Violation. Any person who violates any provision of this Article may be fined not less than ten dollars ($10.00) or more than one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00) for each violation and each day or part of a day shall be considered a separate violation.
[R.O. 2013 §205.040; CC 1984 §6-18; Ord. No. 146 §§1 — 6, 12-4-1936; Ord. No. 1060 §1, 2-3-1992]
A. Horses, mules, jennets, bulls, cows, sheep, hogs and goats are hereby prohibited from running at large within the corporate limits of this City, and all such animals found running at large within said City limits shall be taken up and impounded by the Police in some suitable enclosure to be selected by him/her, and any of the animals named and specified above which shall be staked on any private lot in such manner as to permit their running over any public or private property of another owner without due permission of said owner or his/her agent shall be taken up and impounded hereunder.
B. When any of the animals specified in the preceding Subsection shall have been taken up and impounded as herein provided, and no owner shall appear and claim the same after the expiration of three (3) days from the date of such impounding, the City shall advertise such animals for sale at public auction to the highest bidder for cash, giving five (5) days' notice of the time and place of such sale by written or printed handbills posted in at least ten (10) public places within the City, which handbills shall contain a brief description of the animals to be sold, specifying therein the color, marks or brands of same.
C. The owner of any animal taken up and impounded as provided in this Section may reclaim the same at any time on or before the date of the sale by paying to the City such necessary expense as may have been incurred by reason of the detention of such animal, and thereupon the City shall forthwith deliver the animal or animals so redeemed to the owner thereof or his/her legal representative.
D. The City Clerk shall keep an accurate record of every sale made under the provisions of this Section, which record shall contain a minute description of the animal sold, the price paid and to whom sold.
E. The Mayor and Board of Aldermen may at any time before the expiration of six (6) months refund money paid into the Treasury under this Section upon due proof by affidavit or other evidence that the person claiming such money was the legal owner of the animal or animals from the sale of which such money was paid into the City Treasury.
F. A minimum of two (2) acres in total area shall be required to keep, maintain, tether, confine, or house sheep, horses, goats, cattle, swine, mules or similar domestic animals anywhere in the City. It shall be unlawful for more than three (3) such animals, in any combination, to be upon such premises. The shelter for such animals in any structure, whether temporary or permanent, must be one hundred fifty (150) feet distant from any public property, church or any building used for residence including the owner of such animals.
[R.O. 2013 §205.050; CC 1984 §6-19; Ord. No. 136 §1, 9-6-1935]
It shall be unlawful for any person to maintain a hog pen in the City.
[R.O. 2013 §205.060]
Every person owning or caring for any animal that has died from any cause shall dispose of the animal carcass within twenty-four (24) hours after knowledge of such death, either by arranging for a person permitted under this Chapter to dispose of or transport it, or by the owner or person entitled to such body causing the same to be deposited in a permitted sanitary landfill notwithstanding any other provision of the law or rule to the contrary, allowing it to be buried in a sanitary landfill or buried, incinerated, composted, or disposed of in a manner approved by the State veterinarian within the twenty-four (24) hour period upon his/her own or any other available premises, provided that such disposition is in accordance with the provisions of Subsection (2) of Section 269.020, RSMo.
[Ord. No. 2145, 2-20-2024]
A. Every person responsible for a dog, cat, puppy, kitten, or other animal shall keep it from creating a nuisance.
B. A dog, cat, or other animal creates a nuisance if it:
1. Soils, defiles, or defecates on property within the City other than property of a person responsible for the animal unless such waste is immediately removed by a person responsible for the animal and disposed of in a waste container or buried in the ground where the person responsible for the animal has permission or the right to bury it;
2. Damages public property or property belonging to a person other than a person responsible for the animal;
3. Causes unsanitary or dangerous conditions;
4. Causes fear or annoyance to the neighborhood, or to a person or persons passing upon the streets or sidewalks, by excessive barking, howling, meowing or other noise making;
5. Chases vehicles, including bicycles;
6. Molests, attacks, bites, or interferes with persons or domestic animals on public property or property not belonging to a person responsible for the animal;
7. Interferes with or impedes refuse collection, mail delivery, meter reading, or other public service activities; or
8. Tips, rummages through, or damages a refuse container.