[CC 1974 §4-1; Ord. No. 1103 §I, 12-17-1980]
For the purposes of this Chapter, the following terms mean:
All domesticated animals of the feline species, both male
and female, unless otherwise specified.
All domesticated animals of the canine species, both male
and female, unless otherwise specified.
An animal has been exposed to rabies within the meaning of
this Chapter if it has been bitten or scratched by or has come in
close contact with any other animal known or reasonably suspected
to be infected with rabies, or has bitten or scratched a human being.
Any person, group of persons or corporations owning, keeping
or harboring a dog, or any other animal or fowl, domestic or wild.
[CC 1974 §4-2; Ord. No. 1103 §II, 12-17-1980]
For the purpose of discharging the duties imposed by this Chapter
and enforcing its provisions, any Police Officer or Animal Control
Officer is empowered to enter upon any premises upon which a dog is
kept or harbored and to demand exhibition of the license for such
dog by the owner or keeper of the dog. Any Police Officer or Animal
Control Officer may enter the premises where any animal or fowl is
reportedly kept in an unlawful, cruel or inhumane manner. Any Police
Officer or Animal Control Officer may impound any animal or fowl found
upon the City streets or property or upon the property of any person,
in contravention of the provisions of this Chapter; and if the officer
determines the animal or fowl to be an immediate threat to his/her
or some other person's safety, the officer may destroy such animal
at the time and place the officer makes this determination.
[CC 1974 §4-3; Rev. Ords. 1929, No. 28 §11]
The keeping and standing of stallions, bulls and jacks for breeding
purposes within three hundred (300) yards of any house occupied by
any family as a residence within the City shall be deemed a nuisance
and is hereby prohibited. Whenever any stallion, bull or jack is bred
to any mare, cow or jennet within the limits of the City, the same
shall be done in an enclosure so as to entirely shut the same off
from view from any street or public place in the City. Any person
violating any of the provisions of this Section shall be deemed guilty
of an ordinance violation.
[CC 1974 §4-4; Rev. Ords. 1929, No. 24 §6; Ord. No. 1103 §X, 12-17-1980]
No person shall permit any livestock or fowl to run at large
within the corporate limits of the City of Richmond or upon property
owned or occupied by another person without the consent of the owner
of or person occupying such property.
[CC 1974 §4-5; Rev. Ords. 1929, No. 24 §1]
Any person who shall hitch or tie any animal to any lamppost,
fence, ornamental tree, shrub or awning post without the consent of
the owner, and any person who shall leave any horse or mule team unhitched
and unattended in the City, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor.
[CC 1974 §4-6; Ord. No. 1103 §XI, 12-17-1980]
All fences constructed for the purpose of containing animals
or fowl as provided herein shall be composed of either posts and rails,
posts and palings, posts and wire, or posts and Boards and shall be
at least four and one-half (4½) feet in height. All posts shall
be set firmly into the ground, not more than eight (8) feet apart,
with rails, palings, wire or boards securely fastened thereto and
placed a proper distance apart so as to resist the animals or fowl
the fence is meant to contain. Fences composed of woven wire, wire
netting or wire mesh shall be of sufficient closeness of mesh density
as to contain the intended animals or fowl. The erection of any fence
composed in whole or in part of barbed wire or which shall be electrified
along or adjacent to any public street, avenue, alley, park, cemetery
or other public place is prohibited, unless a special permit is granted
by the City Council upon application made to it on a form and in a
manner as may be prescribed by the City Manager.
[CC 1974 §4-7; Ord. No. 746 §3, 3-4-1970]
The City Council shall provide a suitable animal shelter where
all animals found running at large or otherwise in violation of any
of the provisions of this Chapter shall be impounded.
[CC 1974 §4-8; Ord. No. 746 §4, 3-4-1970]
The officer in charge of the animal shelter shall keep a record,
in a form and manner specified by the City Council, in which he/she
shall enter all his/her official transactions, the time when any animal
is impounded, a minute description of the same, where found and by
whom redeemed; or, when sold, a record of the notice, date of sale,
price paid and to whom sold. The record shall be legibly written and
kept clean, and there shall be no interlineations or erasures in it.
Such record shall be open at all times for inspection by any person.
[CC 1974 §4-9; Ord. No. 746 §10, 3-4-1970; Ord. No. 1961, 4-13-2005]
A.
It
shall be unlawful for any person to turn or cause to be turned loose
from any pen or enclosure any animal for the purpose of causing the
animal to be impounded.
B.
Any
owner of any domesticated animal wishing to cause the impoundment
of their animal will pay a pickup fee as set forth in the City's Comprehensive
Fee Schedule, held on file in the City offices. The animal will become
the property of the City of Richmond.
[Ord. No. 2569, 4-26-2022]
[CC 1974 §4-10; Ord. No. 1103 §IV, 12-17-1980]
No owner shall permit a dog to habitually bark, howl or in other
ways be a public nuisance.
[CC 1974 §4-11; Ord. No. 1103 §VII, 12-17-1980]
Hospitals, clinics and other facilities operated by licensed veterinarians for the care and treatment of animals and fowl are exempt from Section 210.050 of this Chapter. The licensing provisions of this Chapter shall not apply to non-residents of the City unless they keep a dog within the City for a period of thirty (30) days or more.
It shall be unlawful for any person to own, keep or harbor more
than three (3) adult animals over the age of six (6) months in a zoned
residential neighborhood. Four (4) or more animals will constitute
a commercial kennel and require proper zoning and an occupational
license issued by the City License Collector.
[CC 1974 §4-13; Ord. No. 1103 §IX, 12-17-1980]
No person shall release or abandon any animal to run at large
within the corporate limits of the City of Richmond or upon property
owned or occupied by another person without the consent of the owner
of or person occupying such property.
[CC 1974 §4-14; Ord. No. 1103 §XII, 12-17-1980]
A.
An
owner or keeper or harborer of any wild animals or fowl shall obtain
a special permit issued by the State Wildlife Conservation Department
and shall further register such animal or fowl with the City Police
Department.
B.
No
wild animal or fowl shall be permitted to run at large at any time
within the City; except when such animal or fowl is inside a private
building, it shall be kept in a soundly constructed pen which shall
provide adequate shelter against weather and the elements, which pen
shall be enclosed on all sides in such manner as to prevent the escape
of such animal or fowl.
[CC 1974 §4-15; Ord. No. 1103 §XIII, 12-17-1980]
Any person keeping any animal or reptile that is trained or
inclined to attack humans or other animals shall keep such animals
or reptiles chained or in an enclosed place not accessible to other
animals or human beings. If such animal or reptile is permitted by
its owner or keeper to run loose in a place of business during operating
or non-operating hours, the City Police Department shall be informed
of this fact.
No person may keep any lion, tiger, leopard, ocelot, jaguar,
cheetah, margay, mountain lion, canada lynx, bobcat, jaguarundi, hyena,
wolf, or coyote, or any deadly, dangerous, or poisonous reptile, in
any place other than a properly maintained zoological park, circus,
scientific, or educational institution, research laboratory, veterinary
hospital, or animal refuge.
[Ord. No. 2329 §1, 6-10-2014]
A.
During special events, such as the Mushroom Festival, Relay for Life, Fourth of July Celebration, Outlaw Days, and any other such public events which occur in the City's parks or on public property (the "special event"), no person shall be allowed to bring an animal, as defined in Section 210.330 of the City Code, to said special event, except service animals, such as Seeing Eye dogs, and Police and Fire dogs, which are allowed.
B.
If
the special event involves a parade, animals are allowed to participate
in the special event parade, but must remain on a leash. At the conclusion
of the parade, the animal must be removed from the special event.
C.
Vendors
which specialize in the adoption and/or protection of animals may
set up a booth at a special event, housing the animals in kennels
or fenced areas. Any animal that is adopted from said vendor shall
be leashed and removed from the special event by the new owner upon
adoption. All owners or handlers are required to clean up after the
animal.
D.
Notwithstanding
the foregoing, the City Council shall have the power to temporarily
suspend the applicability of all or any part of this Section regarding
animals at special events.
