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Borough of Bonneauville, PA
Adams County
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council of the Borough of Bonneauville as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 8-27-1963 by Ord. No. 10; amended in its entirety 4-19-1994 by Ord. No. 69 (Ch. 2, Part 1, of the 1994 Code)]
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meaning indicated, unless a different meaning clearly appears from the context:
OWNER
Any person having a right of property in any dog or having custody of any dog, or any person who harbors or permits a dog to remain on or around his or her property.
RUNNING AT LARGE
Being upon any public highway, street, alley, park, or any other public land, or upon property of another person other than the owner, and not being accompanied by or under the control of the owner or any other person having custody of said dog.
The State Dog Warden along with the police officers shall have concurrent responsibility for the enforcement of this article and of the Dog Law of 1982, (3 P.S. § 459-101 et seq., as hereafter amended, supplemented, modified or reenacted by the General Assembly of Pennsylvania), provided that he shall not have the power to make arrests under this Act of Assembly or any other Act of Assembly or ordinance of the Borough of Bonneauville.
A. 
No dog shall be permitted to run at large within the Borough of Bonneauville outside the premises of its owner or custodian, provided that if the dog or dogs are restrained by a leash and in the custody and under the control and restraint of its owner, custodian or other person authorized by either, it shall be permitted to be outside the premises of its owner or custodian.
B. 
The owner or custodian of any dog that is restrained by a leash and is in the custody and under the control and restraint of said owner or custodian or any other person authorized by either, outside the premises of its owner or custodian, shall be obligated immediately remove any and all droppings of said dog outside the premises of said owner or custodian, public or private.
C. 
The owner or custodian of any dog shall be guilty of an offense if such dog is permitted to run at large within the Borough and, upon conviction in a summary proceeding under the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure, be guilty of a summary offense and shall be punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000, plus court costs and reasonable attorneys' fees incurred by the Borough in the enforcement proceedings. Upon judgment against any person by summary conviction, or by proceedings by summons on default of the payment of the fine or penalty imposed and the costs, the defendant may be sentenced and committed to the county correctional facility for a period not exceeding 30 days.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
D. 
The owner or custodian of any dog shall be guilty of an offense if such owner or custodian fails to immediately remove any and all dog droppings caused by a dog in the custody and under the control and restraint of said owner or custodian outside of the premises of its owner or custodian and, upon conviction in a summary proceeding under the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure, be guilty of a summary offense and shall be punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000, plus court costs and reasonable attorneys' fees incurred by the Borough in the enforcement proceedings. Upon judgment against any person by summary conviction, or by proceedings by summons on default of the payment of the fine or penalty imposed and the costs, the defendant may be sentenced and committed to the county correctional facility for a period not exceeding 30 days.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
[Added 10-17-1995D]
It shall be unlawful for the owner of any dog to allow said dog to interfere with any municipal, state or federal employee who may be discharging their routine or periodic duties on the owner's property.
The State Dog Warden or any police officer or constable may seize any dog found at large in the Borough of Bonneauville. Such dogs are to be impounded in a licensed kennel.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
The Chief of Police shall notify the owner of a licensed dog by registered or certified mail, with return receipt, that the dog is impounded and will be disposed of in five days if not claimed. Five days after the return receipt has been received, and the dog has not been claimed, the dog may be sold or given to a humane society or association for the prevention of cruelty to animals in accordance with the 1982 Dog Law.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
Unlicensed dogs that are seized shall be held in such kennel for 48 hours and if not claimed may be humanely killed or given to a humane society or association for the prevention of cruelty to animals in accordance with the 1982 Dog Law.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
Dogs that, in the opinion of any police officer or dog warden, constitute a threat to public health and welfare may be humanely killed by the police or dog warden.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
A. 
The first two times a dog is seized, the owner or claimant of a dog so detained shall pay a penalty of $50 to the Borough along with all reasonable expenses incurred by reason of its detention before the dog is returned.
B. 
Any person allowing a dog to run at large a third time in violation of this article shall, upon conviction in a summary proceeding under the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure, be guilty of a summary offense and shall be punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000, plus court costs and reasonable attorneys' fees incurred by the Borough in the enforcement proceedings. Upon judgment against any person by summary conviction, or by proceedings by summons on default of the payment of the fine or penalty imposed and the costs, the defendant may be sentenced and committed to the county correctional facility for a period not exceeding 30 days.
[Adopted 10-19-1999 by Ord. No. 83 (Ch. 2, Part 2, of the 1994 Code)]
The Borough of Bonneauville through its Council, finding that excessive levels of sound are detrimental to the physical, mental, and social well-being of the citizens as well as to their comfort, living conditions, general welfare and safety and being therefore a public health and welfare hazard, hereby declares it to be necessary to provide for the greater control and more effective regulation of excessive sound and the sources of excessive sound within the Borough of Bonneauville.
A. 
It shall be illegal within the Borough of Bonneauville for any person or persons to knowingly own, possess, harbor or control any dog or dogs which habitually bark, howl or yelp to such degree that it greatly upsets the peace and quiet of the neighborhood and causes great discomfort to those persons with ordinary sensibilities. Such dogs are hereby declared a public nuisance; provided, that at the time the dog or dogs are barking, howling, or yelping, no person is trespassing or threatening to trespass upon private property upon which the dog or dogs are situated nor is there any other legitimate cause which justifiably provoked the dog or dogs.
B. 
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
[Added at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
HABITUAL BARKING, HOWLING OR YELPING
Continuous barking, yelping, howling or the making of any loud or harsh noise by an animal for a period of 1/2 hour or more, to the disturbance of any person any time of the day or night.
A. 
Whenever any person or persons complain to the Police Department that a dog or dogs habitually bark, howl, and are being kept by any person or persons in the Borough, the Police Department shall notify the dog or dogs owner that a complaint has been registered.
B. 
The Police Department shall notify the dog or dogs owner of the ordinance prohibiting this type of behavior and shall advise the dog or dogs owner to take positive steps to substantially reduce the noise. These steps may include, but are not limited to:
(1) 
Keeping the dog or dogs confined indoors.
(2) 
Placing a barking collar, muzzle or similar device on the dog or dogs to reduce the noise.
(3) 
Eliminating aggravating factors that may induce the dog or dogs to bark.
C. 
After notification is given by the Police Department, the owner shall have 30 days in which to bring the dog or dogs into compliance. Failure to do so may result in the filing of a petition to declare the dog or dogs a public nuisance.
A. 
If, after 30 days from the notification by the Police Department, the actions taken by the owner are insufficient to bring the dog or dogs into compliance, the complainant and two other Borough citizens, not from the same family or residence, may petition to have the dog or dogs declared a public nuisance.
B. 
The petition must identify the complaining parties, state where the violation is occurring, and set forth the reasons for declaring the dog a public nuisance. The three citizens then must sign and have the petition notarized to verify its truth and accuracy. The petitioner then will deliver the document to the Police Department.
C. 
The Police Department shall then inform the owner of said petition and cite the owner for the alleged violation.
The provisions of §§ 55-10 and 55-11 hereof shall not apply to a guide dog accompanying any blind persons, or to a dog used to assist any other physically handicapped person.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
Any person, firm or corporation violating the provisions of this article shall, upon conviction in a summary proceeding under the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure, be guilty of a summary offense and shall be punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000, plus court costs and reasonable attorneys' fees incurred by the Borough in the enforcement proceedings. Upon judgment against any person by summary conviction, or by proceedings by summons on default of the payment of the fine or penalty imposed and the costs, the defendant may be sentenced and committed to the county correctional facility for a period not exceeding 30 days.