Cross Reference — As to animals at large, §210.780.
The following words, when used in this Chapter, shall have the
meanings set out herein:
All animals of the canine species, both male and female.
Any person having a right of property in a dog, or who keeps
or harbors a dog, or who has it in his/her care or acts as its custodian,
or who knowingly permits a dog to remain on or about any premises
owned or occupied by him/her.
Allowing a dog to be off the private premises of the owner
or keeper or his/her agent or servant and not on a leash or confined
to the arms, motor vehicle, trailer or other conveyance of the owner
or keeper, his/her agent or servant.
Physical injury that creates a substantial risk of death
or that causes serious disfigurement or protracted loss or impairment
of the function of any part of the body.
A person upon the premises of the owner or keeper of the
dog in question without license or privilege to be upon said premises.
Any dog running at large or a dog on the premises of its
owner or keeper but not confined to said premises by a leash, fence,
structure or other means that would prevent the dog from leaving such
premises.
[Ord. No. 1730 §§1 —
6, 7-9-2007; Ord. No.
1788 §1, 4-13-2010]
A.
All
persons residing with the City limits of Versailles, Missouri (City),
owning, controlling, harboring, possessing or having the management
or care of a dog or dogs shall be required to have a City license
and license tag for such dog or dogs. The City Clerk is hereby authorized
and directed to provide a licensing document and a tag for each such
dog licensed in the City.
B.
The
City charge for the license and tag shall be the sum of five dollars
($5.00) and shall be issued for the period of one (1) year commencing
on the date of the approval of the application and ending one (1)
year thereafter; except that the person purchasing the license and
tag shall have the option of purchasing the license and tag for a
period of one (1), two (2), or three (3) years based upon the due
date of their next rabies vaccination, at the current charge of five
dollars ($5.00) per year.
[Ord. No. 17-009 §1, 4-4-2017]
C.
No
license or tag shall be issued to any person until such person shall
have a certificate of rabies vaccination from a licensed veterinarian
confirming to the satisfaction of the City Clerk that the dog being
licensed has its rabies vaccinations as herein required. Such certificate
must confirm that the rabies vaccination was administered to the dog
being licensed within one (1) year of the date of application for
the dog licensed and shall be registered by the City Clerk in the
City dog licensing files.
D.
The
owner or keeper of any dog or dogs in the City is hereby required
to have a current vaccination against rabies by a licensed veterinarian
and to procure a certificate of vaccination from the veterinarian
and to present such certificate to the City Clerk upon application
for a dog license and tag. The tag shall be securely attached to a
collar to be continuously worn by the dog for which the tag was issued.
[1]
Editor's Note — Ord. no. 1730 §§1 — 6, adopted July 9, 2007, repealed sections 205.020 "vaccination and tag", 205.025 "tax to be paid", 205.027 "license fee" and enacted new provisions set out in Section 205.020 above. Former sections 205.020 — 205.027 derived from CC 1974 §§245.010, 245.030; ord. no. 939 §§1, 3, 5-1974.
[CC 1974 §245.020; Ord. No. 939 §2, 5-1974]
It shall be unlawful for any person or persons owning, controlling,
harboring, possessing or having the management or care, in whole or
in part, of any dog to permit such dog or dogs to run at large. For
the purpose of this Chapter, every dog when on any street, alley or
any other public place in the City of Versailles which is not attached
to a leash, the other end of which is securely held or when on private
property within said City, which either not attached to a leash, the
other end of which is securely held or which is not so confined so
as to prevent its straying from the premises shall be deemed running
at large; provided however, that a dog bearing a license as hereinafter
provided may remain on the property of its owner without leash or
other confinement.
The parent or guardian of a minor child is responsible for the
adequate care of any animal owned by, in the control of, or harbored
by that minor child.
[CC 1974 §245.040; Ord. No. 939 §4, 5-1974; Ord. No. 959 §1, 5-1975; Ord. No. 1209 §§1 — 2, 5-2-1989; Ord. No. 1415 §1, 8-5-1997; Ord. No. 1704 §§1 —
3, 9-5-2006; Ord. No.
18-007, 5-8-2018]
A.
All
dogs found running at large shall be picked up and impounded by the
Regulatory Control Officer, or in the absence of the Regulatory Control
Officer, the Chief of Police, the City Police, or any other person
of the City of Versailles designated by the Mayor for such purpose.
Said impoundment shall be made to the City Pound. Within twenty-four
(24) hours after any dog shall be picked up and impounded, the Regulatory
Control Officer, or in the absence of the Regulatory Control Officer,
the Chief of Police, the City Police, or any other person of the City
of Versailles designated by the Mayor for such purpose, shall notify
the City Clerk of the description of said dog, as to when said dog
was impounded and as to its present location. The City Clerk shall
then have the duty to post in the City Hall written notice of the
impoundment of said dog containing said description. If the identity
of the owner of said dog is known or if said dog is properly licensed,
the City Clerk shall further make all reasonable efforts to notify
the owner of said dog of said impoundment.
B.
If a dog is impounded and the notice as provided in Subsection (A) is given and the dog is not redeemed by the owner within one (1) week after the dog is impounded, then the dog may be disposed of as hereinafter provided.
1.
Euthanasia.
2.
Released to a new owner who shows to the satisfaction of the Regulatory
Control Officer that such person has the ability and intention to
provide the dog with an appropriate home and humane care; and agrees
to the following requirements:
a.
To cause the dog to receive a rabies vaccination within ten (10)
days and deliver a veterinarian verification thereof to the Humane
Officer, and
b.
To cause the dog to be licensed with the City Collector as provided
in the City ordinances if such dog is to be housed or kept within
the City, and
c.
To cause the dog to be neutered and show proof thereof within ten
(10) days; and
d.
Pay to the City an adoption fee of forty dollars ($40.00).
[Ord. No. 23-004, 4-11-2023]
C.
In
the event the owner of the impounded dog wishes to redeem his or her
dog from the City Pound, then he or she must meet the following conditions,
to wit:
1.
Pay an impoundment fee of ten dollars ($10.00) plus a confinement
fee of ten dollars ($10.00) for each day or portion of a day that
the dog is retained in the City Pound; and
[Ord. No. 24-006, 5-14-2024]
2.
Show proof of rabies vaccination and a City dog license as required
by the City ordinances. If the owner fails to show proof of vaccination
and a City dog license and he or she is a resident of the City, then
such owner shall be granted ten (10) days to acquire a City license
and proof of rabies vaccination.
D.
Any
dog being held at the City Pound shall not be visited by an owner
or other person without permission from and being accompanied by the
Regulatory Control Officer or other appropriate City employee.
[Ord. No. 24-006, 5-14-2024]
E.
Any
dog determined to be dangerous in the sole discretion of the Regulatory
Control Officer or being held pending an appeal of a dangerous dog
determination shall not be made available to the owner or other persons
and shall only be interacted with for purposes of food, water, and
sanitation.
[Ord. No. 24-006, 5-14-2024]
[Ord. No. 1531 §§1 —
3, 9-4-2001]
A.
It shall be unlawful for any person to own, keep or harbor within the boundary of the City of Versailles, Missouri, any dangerous dog which is not restrained as set out in Subsection (C) of this Section.
B.
ATTACK
DANGEROUS DOG
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
DOMESTIC ANIMAL
SERIOUS INJURY
Definitions. As used in this Section, the following terms
shall have these prescribed meanings:
Aggressive physical contact initiated by the dog.
Any dog which, without justification, attacks a person or
domestic animal causing physical injury or death or behaves in a manner
that a reasonable person would believe poses an unjustified imminent
threat of serious injury or death to one (1) or more persons or domestic
animals. A dog's breed shall not be considered in determining whether
or not it is "dangerous". Further,
No dog may be declared "dangerous":
If the dog was protecting or defending a person within the immediate
vicinity of the dog from an attack or assault;
If at the time the person was committing a crime or offense
upon the property of the owner or custodian of the dog;
If the person was teasing, tormenting, abusing or assaulting
the dog or in the past had teased, tormented, abused or assaulted
the dog;
If the dog was attacked or menaced by the domestic animal or
the domestic animal was on the property of the owner or custodian
of the dog;
If the dog was responding to pain or injury or protecting itself,
its kennels or its offspring;
If the person or domestic animal was disturbing the dog's natural
functions such as sleeping or eating.
Neither growling nor barking, nor both, shall alone constitute
grounds upon which to find a dog to be "dangerous".
Any animal commonly kept as a pet in family households in
the United States including, but not limited to, dogs, cats, guinea
pigs, rabbits and hamsters, and any animals commonly kept for companion
or commercial purposes.
Any physical injury consisting of broken bones or a permanently
disfiguring laceration requiring either multiple stitches or cosmetic
surgery.
C.
When
outdoors and not confined in a kennel, the dog must be attended and
kept on a leash no longer than six (6) feet and under the control
of a person eighteen (18) years of age or older. Outdoors and unattended,
the dog must be confined to an escapeproof kennel of the following
description:
1.
Such kennel shall allow the dog to stand normally and without restriction
and shall be at least two and one-half (2.5) times the length of the
dog and shall protect the dog from the elements.
2.
Fencing materials shall not have opening with a diameter of more
than two (2) inches and in the case of wooden fences, the gaps shall
not be more than two (2) inches.
3.
Any gates within such kennel or structure shall be lockable and of
such design as to prevent the entry of children or the escape of the
animal and when the dog is confined to such kennel and unattended,
such locks shall be kept locked.
[Ord. No. 18-007, 5-8-2018]
If shall be the duty of the Regulatory Control Officer, or in the absence of the Regulatory Control Officer, the Chief of Police, the City Police, and any other person of the City of Versailles, specially designated by the Mayor for such purpose, to take up any dog with the tag provided in Section 205.020, any dog running at large, or any dangerous dog in violation of Section 205.045 above and to impound the same. In effecting the capture of any dog, the officers aforesaid are authorized and directed to use traps, nets, tranquilizer guns or any other humane method.
Every officer impounding a dog under this Chapter shall, within
twenty-four (24) hours after such impounding, enter upon a registry
open to the public and in plain public view at the City Hall of the
City a description of such dog including breed, color and approximate
size, and the date apprehended, and if the owner or keeper is known,
the name and address of such owner or keeper; or the owner or keeper
shall be given actual notice of the impoundment of such dog before
disposition of such dog.
[Ord. No. 1526 §1, 8-7-2001]
It shall be unlawful within the boundary of the City of Versailles,
Missouri, for any person to own, keep or harbor any dog which by loud,
continual or frequent barking or howling disturbs the neighborhood
or any person or which habitually barks, threatens or chases pedestrians
or vehicles, provided however, that this Section shall not apply to
the City dog pound.
[Ord. No. 1486 §§1 —
2, 2-1-2000]
A.
No
person shall keep or harbor any poisonous animal, any non-domestic
cats including bobcats, lynx, ocelots, mountain lions, tigers, panthers,
lions or any wild/domestic cat hybrid, wolves, wolf/dog hybrids, coyotes
or any animal with any percentage of wolf parentage. Further, no person
shall keep or harbor any raccoons, skunks, foxes, crocodiles, alligators
or caimans within the City limits of the City of Versailles. Provided
however, that this Section shall not restrict the right to keep and
harbor small caged fowl, domestic dogs, domestic cats and small rodents
of varieties as used for laboratory purposes.
B.
Any
person keeping non-poisonous snakes shall restrain the same in locked
escapeproof cages, except when being handled.
B.
All
fines and penalties for a first finding of guilt under this Section
may be waived by the court if the person found guilty of animal neglect
shows that adequate, permanent remedies for the neglect have been
made. Reasonable costs incurred for the care and maintenance of neglected
animals may not be waived. This Section shall not apply to the provisions
of Section 578.007, RSMo., or Chapter 272, RSMo.
C.
In
addition to any other penalty imposed by this Section 578.009, RSMo.,
the court may order a person found guilty of animal neglect to pay
all reasonable costs and expenses necessary for:
1.
The care and maintenance of neglected animals within the person's
custody or ownership;
2.
The disposal of any dead or diseased animals within the person's
custody or ownership;
3.
The reduction of resulting organic debris affecting the immediate
area of the neglect; and
4.
The avoidance or minimization of any public health risks created
by the neglect of the animals.
A.
A person
is guilty of animal trespass if a person having ownership or custody
of an animal knowingly fails to provide adequate control for a period
equal to or exceeding twelve (12) hours.
B.
For
a first conviction of animal trespass, each offense shall be punishable
by a fine not to exceed two hundred dollars ($200.00). The second
and all subsequent convictions shall be punishable by imprisonment
or a fine not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500.00), or both such
fine and imprisonment. All fines for a first conviction of animal
trespass may be waived by the court, provided that the person found
guilty of animal trespass shows that adequate, permanent remedies
for trespass have been made. Reasonable costs incurred for the care
and maintenance of trespassing animals may not be waived. This Section
shall not apply to the provisions of Section 578.007 or Sections 272.010
to 272.370, RSMo.
A.
A person
commits the offense of animal abuse if he or she:
1.
Intentionally or purposely kills an animal in any manner not allowed
by or expressly exempted from the provisions of Sections 578.005 to
578.023 and 273.030, RSMo.;
2.
Purposely or intentionally causes injury or suffering to an animal;
or
3.
Having ownership or custody of an animal knowingly fails to provide
adequate care which results in substantial harm to the animal.
[1]
Note: Under certain circumstances this offense can be a felony
under state law.
A.
A person
commits the offense of knowingly releasing an animal if that person,
acting without the consent of the owner or custodian of an animal,
intentionally releases any animal that is lawfully confined for the
purpose of companionship or protection of persons or property or for
recreation, exhibition or educational purposes.
B.
As
used in this Section, "animal" means every living
creature, domesticated or wild, but not including Homo sapiens.
C.
The
provisions of this Section shall not apply to a public servant acting
in the course of such servant's official duties.
[1]
Note: Under certain circumstances this offense can be a felony
under state law.
Whenever rabies becomes prevalent in the City, the Mayor shall,
according to the necessity of the case, issue a quarantine order requiring
every owner or person in charge of any dog or dogs within the limits
of the City to either kill or impound his/her dog or dogs or to have
such dog or dogs immunized. Said order shall be published once in
the paper officially publishing the business of the City and, in the
absence of such paper, shall be posted as in case of sales of personal
property. The Mayor is authorized by proclamation to terminate any
such quarantine whenever, in his/her judgment, the necessity for it
no longer exists.
[Ord. No. 1033 §§1 —
5, 9-4-1979]
A.
No
person shall operate a dog kennel, as herein after defined, within
the City limits of Versailles, Missouri, without first having obtained
a permit therefor from the Board of Aldermen of the City of Versailles.
B.
No
permit shall be issued by the Board of Aldermen of the City of Versailles
for the operation of a dog kennel unless the premises upon which said
dog kennel is operated shall consist of an area of not less than one
(1) acre and said premises shall further be fenced so as to prevent
the running of dogs in said kennel at any location within fifty (50)
feet of the boundary of said lands upon which said kennel shall be
maintained.
C.
For
the purpose of this Section a "dog kennel" shall
be defined as any premises upon which more than three (3) dogs shall
be maintained at any one time. For the purpose of this Section, a "dog" shall be defined as any dog of more than three (3)
months of age.
D.
All
applications for the operation of a dog kennel under this Section
shall be made to the City Clerk of the City of Versailles and there
shall be levied for said permit a fee of twenty-five dollars ($25.00)
per year.
E.
No
persons shall operate a dog kennel under any permit issued by the
Board of Aldermen in such a manner as to constitute a public nuisance
under the laws of the State of Missouri and the ordinances of the
City of Versailles.
[Ord. No. 1761, 10-14-2008]
The following words, when used in this Article, shall have the
meanings set out herein:
The person or persons designated by the City to enforce the
provisions of this Article and all other animal control ordinances
in the City.
Any member of the feline (genus felis) family over three
(3) months of age, both male and female.
Untamed, wild, undomesticated cat.
Any person having a right of property in a cat or who keeps
or harbors a cat or who has it in his/her care or acts as its custodian
or who knowingly permits a cat to remain on or about any premises
owner or occupied by him/her.
Allowing a cat to be off the private premises of the owner
or keeper or his/her agent or servant and not on a leash or confined
to the arms, motor vehicle, trailer or other conveyance of the owner
or keeper, his/her agent or servant.
[Ord. No. 1761, 10-14-2008]
A.
All
persons residing within the City limits of Versailles, Missouri (City),
owning, controlling, harboring, possessing or having the management
or care of a cat or cats shall be required to have a City license
and either a license tag or an identity microchip for such cat or
cats. The City Clerk is hereby authorized and directed to provide
a licensing document and a tag for each such cat license in the City.
B.
The
City charge for the license and tag or identity microchip shall be
the sum of ten dollars ($10.00) for neutered cats and the sum of fifty
dollars ($50.00) for unneutered cats and shall be issued for the period
of one (1) year commencing on the date of the approval of the application
and ending one (1) year thereafter.
C.
No
license, tag or identity microchip shall be issued to any person until
such person shall have a certificate of rabies vaccination from a
licensed veterinarian confirming to the satisfaction of the City Clerk
that the cat being licensed has its rabies vaccinations as herein
required. Such certificate must confirm that the rabies vaccination
was administered to the cat being licensed within one (1) year of
the date of application for the cat licensed and shall be registered
by the City Clerk in the City cat licensing files.
D.
The
owner or keeper of any cat in the City is hereby required to have
their cat or cats vaccinated each year against rabies by a licensed
veterinarian and to procure a certificate of vaccination from the
veterinarian and to present such certificate to the City Clerk upon
application for a cat license and tag. The tag shall be securely attached
to a collar to be continuously worn by the cat for which the tag was
issued.
[Ord. No. 1761, 10-14-2008]
It shall be unlawful for any person or person owning, controlling,
harboring, possessing or having the management or care, in whole or
in part, of any cat to permit such cat or cats to run at large. For
the purpose of this Chapter, every cat when on any street, alley or
any other public place in the City of Versailles which is not attached
to a leash, the other end of which is securely held by the person
above described or when on private property within said City, which
either not attached to a leash, the other end of which is securely
held by the person above described or which is not so confined so
as to prevent its straying from such person's premises shall be deemed
running at large; provided however, that a cat bearing a license as
hereinafter provided may remain on the property of its owner without
leash or other confinement.
[Ord. No. 1761, 10-14-2008; Ord. No. 18-007, 5-8-2018]
A.
All
cats found running at large are hereby declared to be a public nuisance
and shall be picked up and impounded by the Animal Control Officer,
or in the absence of the Animal Control Officer, the Chief of Police,
the City Police, or any other person of the City of Versailles designated
by the Mayor for such purpose. Said impoundment shall be made to the
City Pound. Within twenty-four (24) hours after any cat shall be picked
up and impounded, the Animal Control Officer, or in the absence of
the Animal Control Officer, the Chief of Police, the City Police,
or any other person designated by the Mayor for such purpose shall
notify the City Clerk of the description of the cat, as to when said
cat was impounded and as to its present location. The City Clerk shall
then have the duty to post in the City Hall written notice of the
impoundment of said cat containing said description. If the identity
of the owner of said cat is known or if said cat is properly licensed,
the City Clerk shall further make all reasonable efforts to notify
the owner of said cat of said impoundment.
B.
If a cat is impounded and the notice as provided in Subsection (A) is given and the cat is not redeemed by the owner within one (1) week after the cat is impounded, then the cat may be disposed of as hereinafter provided.
1.
Euthansia.
2.
Released to a new owner who shows to the satisfaction of the Animal
Control Officer that such person has the ability and intention to
provide the cat with an appropriate home and humane care and agrees
to the following requirements:
a.
To cause the cat to receive a rabies vaccination within ten (10)
days and deliver a veterinarian verification thereof to the Animal
Control Officer; and
b.
To cause the cat to be licensed with the City Collector as provided
in the City ordinances if such cat is to be housed or kept within
the City, and
c.
To cause the cat to be neutered and show proof thereof within ten
(10) days; and
d.
Pay to the City an adoption fee of forty dollars ($40.00).
[Ord. No. 23-004, 4-11-2023]
C.
In
the event the owner of the impounded cat wishes to redeem his or her
cat from the City Pound, then he or she must meet the following conditions,
to wit:
1.
Pay an impoundment fee of ten dollars ($10.00) plus a confinement
and boarding fee of two dollars ($2.00) per day for each day or portion
of a day that the cat is retained in the City pound; and
2.
Show proof of rabies vaccination and a City cat license as required
by the City ordinances. If the owner fails to show proof of vaccination
and a City cat license and he or she is a resident of the City, then
such owner shall be granted ten (10) days to acquire a City license
and proof of rabies vaccination; and
3.
To cause the cat to be neutered and show proof thereof within ten
(10) days or in the alternative show proof to the Animal Control Officer
that the cat is a show animal or a breeder animal (owner must have
breeder's license) or the cat cannot be neutered because of health
reasons (must have veterinarian statement to prove health reasons
for not neutering).
[Ord. No. 1761, 10-14-2008]
There is hereby established a City animal pound under the supervision
and direction of the Animal Control Officer for the reception, humane
care and disposition of sick, injured, diseased or impounded animals.
[Ord. No. 1761, 10-14-2008]
If a cat impounded is a feral cat or is so diseased or disabled
beyond recovery for any useful purpose at the time it is impounded
in the judgment of the Animal Control Officer, it shall be humanely
euthanized as quickly as practical.
[Ord. No. 1761, 10-14-2008]
It shall be unlawful for any person to refuse to deliver a cat
to the Animal Control Officer, when requested to do so under the provisions
of this Chapter.
[Ord. No. 1761, 10-14-2008]
It shall be unlawful for any person to remove from the custody
of the Animal Control Officer, by force, deceit or otherwise, any
animal which has been trapped, captured or impounded by the Animal
Control Officer.
[Ord. No. 1761, 10-14-2008]
The Animal Control Officer shall have the right of entry to
any property or premises within the City for the purpose of determining
if the provisions of this Chapter are being violated.
[Ord. No. 1761, 10-14-2008]
Any person violating the provisions of this Chapter, upon conviction,
shall be fined not less than twenty-five dollars ($25.00) or more
than five hundred dollars ($500.00) or shall be sentenced to a term
of imprisonment of not more than three (3) months in jail or shall
be both fined and sentenced. Each day that the condition exists in
violation of these provisions constitutes separate offense. Upon conviction
under this Section, the City enforcement personnel shall have the
right to seize and impound the animal(s).
