[Ord. No. 118,
§ 1, 4-17-2000]
This Ordinance shall be known and cited as the "Exotic or Wild
Animal Regulatory Ordinance."
[Ord. No. 118,
§ 2, 4-17-2000]
This ordinance is adopted pursuant to, and in accordance with,
Act 246, Public Acts of 1945, as amended.
[Ord. No. 118,
§ 3, 4-17-2000]
As used with this article:
(a) DOMESTIC ANIMALS — Means those animals that have traditionally,
through a long association with humans, lived in a state of dependence
upon humans or under the dominion and control of humans and have been
kept as pets no longer possessing a disposition or inclination to
escape, raised as livestock, or used for commercial breeding purposes.
(b) EXOTIC OR WILD ANIMAL — Means a wild animal not occurring naturally,
either presently or historically, in this state and shall expressly
include the following:
(1)
All poisonous animals, including rear-fang snakes.
(2)
Apes: Chimpanzees (pan), gibbons (hylobates), gorillas, orangutans
(pongo), and siamangs (symphalangus).
(3)
Baboons (papoi, mandrillus).
(6)
Cheetahs (acinonyx jubatus).
(7)
Crocodilia (by example, crocodiles and alligators).
(10)
Deer (cervidae, includes all members of the deer family, for
example, white tail deer, elk, antelope and moose).
(11)
Elephants (elephas and loxodonta).
(12)
Game cocks and other fighting birds.
(13)
Hippopotami (hippopotamidae).
(16)
Leopards (panthera padrus).
(19)
Monkeys, old world (cercopithecidae).
(22)
Pumas (felis concolor), also known as cougars, mountain lions
and panthers.
(23)
Rhinoceroses (rhinocero tidae).
(24)
Sharks (class chondrichthyes).
(25)
Snow leopards (panthera uncia).
(27)
Tigers (panthera tigris).
(29)
Poisonous spiders, venomous or poisonous insects.
(30)
Perissodactyla (generally nonruminant ungulate mammals with
odd-numbers toes).
(31)
Artiodactyla (generally hooved mammals with even number of toes,
by example, camel).
(32)
Non-domesticated carnivores including hybrid crosses of non-domesticated
carnivores.
(c) PERSON — Means an individual, partnership, association, corporation,
trust, estate, or other legal entity.
(d) CIRCUSES — Means a commercial variety show featuring animal
acts for public entertainment.
[Ord. No. 118,
§ 4, 4-17-2000]
Except as provided in section
10-55, it shall be unlawful for any person to own, breed, purchase, sell, offer for purchase or sale, keep, maintain or have in possession or under his or her control, any exotic or wild animal.
[Ord. No. 118,
§ 5, 4-17-2000]
The provisions of this article shall not apply to licensed pet
shops, zoological parks and aquariums that are accredited by the American
Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums, wildlife sanctuaries,
nature preserves, bona fide scientific, educational, or medical research
facilities/institutions, museums or circuses, if:
(1) Their location conforms to the provisions of the Chesterfield Township
Zoning Ordinance.
(2) All animals and animal quarters are kept in a clean and sanitary
condition and so maintained as to eliminate objectionable odors.
(3) All animals are maintained and confined in quarters that are constructed
to prevent their escape.
[Ord. No. 118,
§ 6, 4-17-2000]
Any continuing violation or a repeated violation of this article
shall constitute a nuisance per se and may be abated by an action
in circuit court separately or in addition to criminal proceedings.
[Ord. No. 118,
§ 7, 4-17-2000]
This article shall be enforced by the township ordinance enforcement
officer or such person as may be appointed by the township board.
It shall be the duty of such officer to issue a citation to any person
who owns or possesses any exotic or wild animal found anywhere in
the township, contrary to any provision of this article.
[Ord. No. 118,
§ 8, 4-17-2000]
Any person or persons violating any of the provisions of this
article, upon conviction thereof, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor
punishable by imprisonment in the county jail for a term not to exceed
90 days or a fine not to exceed $500 or both, such fine and imprisonment.