[Ord. No. 2478, 3-19-2019]
(a)
It shall be unlawful for the owner of a dog or cat, four (4) months
of age or older, to fail to have each animal inoculated against rabies
by a licensed veterinarian. Terms of subsequent vaccine administration
and duration of immunity must be in compliance with USDA licenses
of vaccines used. Evidence of such rabies inoculation shall be entered
on a certificate the form of which shall be approved by the St. Louis
County Department of Health and which shall contain the microchip
number of the animal if it has one and which shall be signed by the
licensed veterinarian administering the vaccine. Veterinarians who
inoculate a dog shall procure from the County Animal Control in the
County where their office is located serially numbered tags, one (1)
to be issued with each inoculation certificate. Only one (1) animal
shall be included on each certificate. The veterinarian immunizing
or microchipping an animal shall provide the Administrator of the
County in which the animal resides with a certificate of immunization
and microchip number.
(b)
It shall be unlawful for any person to counterfeit or forge any certificate,
permit, or tag, or making any misrepresentation in regard to any matter
prescribed by this Chapter, or to resist, obstruct, or impede the
City Marshal or his/her designee or any authorized officer in enforcing
this Chapter, or refuse to produce for inoculation any animal in his/her
possession, or who removes a tag from a dog for purposes of destroying
or concealing its identity. Each day a person fails to comply constitutes
a separate offense.
[Ord. No. 2478, 3-19-2019]
(a)
Leash Required. It shall be unlawful to permit a dog, except when
on a leash controlled by the owner or the owner's agent, to use
or be upon any public street, sidewalk, parkway or public area within
the City.
(b)
Places Of Business And Public Buildings. It shall be unlawful for
any person to bring or cause to be brought any animal into any shop,
store, or retail place of business wherein the public is invited to
do business or any public building. However, it shall not be considered
a violation of this Subsection if any animal is under such person's
control and is brought for the purposes of conducting business or
inquiry wherein the physical presence of the animal is required.
(c)
Schools And Parks. It shall be unlawful to permit any dog, even though
on a leash, to go or be upon any school premises, public playground,
public swimming pool or public park within the City or upon a path
or sidewalk extending through or within any school premises, public
playground, or public park within the City, unless otherwise permitted
by the governmental authority owning or controlling the property.
(d)
Length Of Leash. No leash shall be longer than ten (10) feet in length,
and may be retractable.
(e)
Exemptions. The provisions of this Section shall not apply to animals
assisting persons with disabilities or to animals in the Canine Unit
of the City Police Department.
(f)
Removal Of Feces. It shall be deemed to be a public nuisance for
any person to cause or permit any dog owned, controlled, or kept by
such person to defecate upon any public street, sidewalk, or other
public place, or upon any other premises not owned or controlled by
the person owning, controlling, or keeping the dog.
[Ord. No. 2478, 3-19-2019]
No person shall, without the consent of the owner of the property
concerned, permit any animal in such person's custody and control
to enter upon the premises of another within the City. No dog or cat
shall be allowed to injure, destroy or carry away any vegetable, plant,
fruit, shrub, tree, flower or other things which may be on such premises
or which may be planted or seeded there.
[Ord. No. 2478, 3-19-2019]
It is unlawful for any person having ownership, control, management,
or possession of any animal to abandon such animal within the City.
[Ord. No. 2478, 3-19-2019]
It shall be the duty of any person bitten by any animal, and
the owner of an animal biting a person or other animal, or the parent
or guardian of any minor child bitten by an animal, to report the
same to the City Marshal immediately. Such report shall contain the
name and the owner of an animal biting a person or other animal, the
address of the owner and of the animal, the day and time bitten, the
location where bitten and a general description of the animal. The
City Marshal may take the animal into custody. The owner of any animal
that bites a person shall produce proof of the animal's current
vaccinations, or lack thereof, immediately upon request of the person
bitten or any law enforcement officer. It shall be unlawful to fail
to report a bite or provide proof of the animal's current vaccinations
as set forth herein.
[Ord. No. 2478, 3-19-2019]
Any person destroying an animal affected with rabies or suspected
of being affected with rabies shall immediately notify the City Marshal
and shall surrender the carcass of such animal upon demand. The owner
or custodian of any such destroyed animal shall immediately provide
the City Marshal with full particulars thereof, including the time,
date, location, the names and addresses of any person bitten by the
animal and also the name and address of the owner or person having
custody of any animal exposed to the animal destroyed.
[Ord. No. 2478, 3-19-2019]
Guide dogs for the blind or hearing impaired, support dogs for
the physically handicapped, and sentry, guard, or police-owned dogs
are exempt from the provisions of this Chapter regarding vicious animals;
provided, an attack or injury to a person occurs while the dog is
performing duties as expected. To qualify for exemption under this
Section, each such dog shall be currently inoculated against rabies
in accordance with this Chapter and performing duties as expected.
In the case of a sentry or guard dog, the owner shall keep the City
advised of the location where such dog will be stationed. Each owner
of such exempted dogs shall provide the Police Department and Fire
District a categorized list of the exempted dogs.
