[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the Town of Lawrence
as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 2-12-2001]
A.
License required. Every person residing in the Town who owns a dog
which is more than five months of age on January 1 shall annually,
at the time and in the manner prescribed by law for the payment of
personal property taxes, obtain a license therefor.
B.
Fees. The license fees will be as determined by resolution of the
Town Board.
C.
State law adopted. Chapter 174, Wis. Stats., pertaining to licensing
of dogs is made part of this section by reference.
No person shall own, harbor, or keep in his/her possession more than two dogs on property zoned residential, with the exception that a litter of pups, or a portion of a litter, may be kept for not exceeding eight weeks from birth. Additional dogs may be permitted on property zoned R-1, R-2, R-3 or Estate Residential, as provided in Chapter 300, Zoning, of this Code, providing for conditional uses in the residential districts, and only as to property containing a single-family residence.
A.
No person
shall own, harbor or keep a dog which runs at large. Any dog not on
a leash, nor within the property limits of its owner or keeper, is
declared to be "at large" and is declared to be a public nuisance.
A "leash" shall be defined as a chain, cord or rope which is not more
than 10 feet in length and which is of sufficient strength to control
the actions of the animal. Any police officer, humane officer or other
designated public official of the Town may enter any premises, except
that premises of the owner or keeper of such animal, and capture,
by any reasonable and necessary means, such animal.
B.
A dog that
is actively engaged in a legal hunting activity, including training,
is not considered to be running at large if a dog is monitored or
supervised by a person and the dog is on land that is open to hunting
or on land on which the person has obtained permission to hunt or
to train a dog.
A.
Any dog found within the Town which there is good reason to believe
is rabid, vicious or dangerous to the public, or which shall have
bitten any person so as to cause a wound, may be disposed of by the
police who may enter upon private premises for the purpose of taking
or disposing of any dog. When any such dog is disposed of, the police
shall have the same removed and buried unless the owner thereof or
other person in charge thereof shall agree to see that the carcass
of such dog is buried.
B.
Any person owning or having in his/her possession or under his/her care or control any dog which comes under Subsection A shall permit the police or any other designated public official of the Town to take or dispose of such dog and shall render all reasonable assistance to any such officer in so doing.
A.
If any dog is suspected of having rabies, the police may order the
dog chained upon the premises of owner for 10 days, if the owner is
responsible, or may take possession of the dog and place the same
in a pound or elsewhere to quarantine for 10 days or in their discretion
may dispose of such dog.
B.
When any dog shall bite any person, it shall be confined at a veterinarian's
pound for 10 days at the expense of the person who owns, keeps, or
harbors such dog, during which time the dog shall be examined for
rabies. This subsection shall not apply to dogs for which evidence
can be shown that the dog has been vaccinated against rabies for two
years.
B.
Any person wishing to reclaim a dog so impounded from the animal
shelter must pay the above charges against such dog.
C.
Any dog not claimed within seven days may be disposed of by the Town
or given, upon payment of the fees imposed for the impounding of such
animal, to any person wishing to accept such animal.
A.
"Owner" shall include any person owning, harboring, or keeping a
dog in the Town.
B.
The owner of a dog shall have the dog vaccinated against rabies in
accordance with § 95.21, Wis. Stats., at no later than five
months of age and revaccinated within one year after the initial vaccination.
The owner of a dog shall have the dog revaccinated against rabies
before the date that the immunization expires as stated on the certificate
of vaccination or, if no date is specified, within three years after
the previous vaccination.[1]
C.
Each veterinarian after inoculating a dog shall give a certificate
of inoculation to the owner of the dog who shall mail or deliver a
copy to the Town of Lawrence within five days after inoculation.
D.
No person shall own, harbor or keep any dog which has not been inoculated
as provided herein.
E.
In addition to the penalties hereafter provided for a violation of
this article, any police officer, humane officer or health officer
of the Town may impound any dog which has not been inoculated as required.
Such dog shall not be released until proof has been furnished to the
police officer or designated Town official that the dog has been inoculated
with an anti-rabies vaccine. After such dog has been so impounded
for seven days without having been reclaimed by its owner or anyone
on behalf of such owner, the dog shall be destroyed under the direction
of the police officer or designated Town officer.
Any police officer, humane officer, or designated Town official
may impound in the animal shelter any dog found in violation of this
article.
A.
Notice of impounding shall be given to the owner of the dog, if known,
by the person or officer in possession of the dog, within 24 hours
of impounding.
B.
Any person, police officer, humane officer or designated Town official
who shall dispose of or impound any dog shall make a report to the
Town Clerk/Treasurer stating when and under what conditions he seized,
impounded or disposed of such dog and the owner's name, if known.
Any person who violates any provision of this article shall be subject to a penalty as provided in § 1-3 of this Code.
[Adopted 7-14-2008]
The title of this article is the "Town of Lawrence Harmful and
Exotic Wild Animal Ordinance." The purpose of this article is for
the Town to regulate by permit and penalty the possession, display,
sale, purchase, and exhibition of certain harmful wild animals and
exotic or wild animals in the Town.
The Town Board of the Town of Lawrence has the specific authority
under § 169.43, Wis. Stats., and general authority under
its village powers under § 60.22, Wis. Stats., to adopt
this article.
The Town Board of the Town of Lawrence, by this article, adopted
with a quorum and by roll call vote of a majority of the Town Board
present and voting, provides the authority for the Town to regulate
and permit the possession, display, sale, purchase, and exhibition
of certain harmful wild animals and exotic or wild animals within
the Town.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
Domestic cattle and American bison of any age or sex.
Any of the various animals of the domesticated genus Bos.
A member of the family of animals that includes deer, elk,
moose, caribou, reindeer and subfamily musk deer. "Cervid" includes
all farm-raised deer.
A scheduled event staged by a traveling company with mobile
facilities in which entertainment consisting of a variety of performances
by acrobats, clowns, or trained animals is the primary attraction
or principal business.
Any of the following:
Domesticated cats of the subspecies Felis silvestris catus.
Domesticated dogs of the subspecies Canis lupus familiaris.
Rodents kept in cages, aquariums, or similar containers, including
gerbils, hamsters, guinea pigs, and white mice.
Fish kept in aquariums or self-contained bodies of water and
farm-raised fish, except fish that have been released to waters of
the state.
Farm-raised deer that are kept by a person registered under
§ 95.55, Wis. Stats.
Livestock.
Poultry.
Farm-raised game birds, except farm-raised game birds that have
been released to the wild.
Ratites.
Foxes, fitch, nutria, marten, fisher, mink, chinchilla, rabbit,
or caracul that are born, bred and raised in captivity and are not
endangered or threatened species.
Pet birds.
Any other animal listed as a domestic animal by rule by the
State of Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.[1]
A horse, mule, zebra, donkey or ass.
Any animal that is not a domestic animal and specifically
includes all of the following:
Nonhuman primates and prosimians, including chimpanzees and
monkeys.
Felids, except domesticated cats of the subspecies Felis silvestris
catus, including lions, tigers and other felids generally referred
to as big cats.
Canids, except domesticated dogs of the subspecies Canis lupus
familiaris, including foxes not born, bred and raised in captivity,
and all wolves, coyotes, and wolf hybrids.
Ursids, including all bears.
Elephants.
Crocodilians, including alligators and crocodiles.
Marsupials, including kangaroos, wallabies, and opossums.
Hippopotami.
Rhinoceroses.
Hyenas.
Mustelids, except domestic ferrets, including skunks, otters,
and badgers.
Procyonids, including raccoons, and coatis.
Dasypodidae, including anteaters, sloth, and armadillos.
Viverrids, including mongooses, civets, and genets.
Reptilia over three feet in length, including boa constrictors,
pythons, and any other snakes.
Venomous reptilia.
Cervids, except farm-raised deer that are kept by a person registered
under § 95.55, Wis. Stats.
Camelids, except South American camelids.
A captive cervid, but includes a noncaptive cervid that has
an ear tag or other mark identifying it as being raised on a farm.
"Farm-raised deer" does not include a cervid kept by an institution
accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.[2]
A captive bird of wild nature that is not native. "Farm-raised
game bird" does not include poultry, or ratites, or birds kept pursuant
to a license issued under § 169.15, 169.19, 169.20 or 169.21,
Wis. Stats.
Members of the family Ursidae, commonly known as bears, the
species Felis concolor, commonly known as cougars, and other animals
designates as harmful wild animals under Wisconsin Statutes or by
rule of the State of Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
Bovine animals, equine animals, goats, poultry, sheep, swine
other than wild hogs, farm-raised deer, farm-raised game birds, South
American camelids, and ratites.
An individual, partnership, firm, joint-stock company, corporation,
association, trust, estate, or other legal entity.
A psittacine or soft bill that is not native, is not identified
on the federal list of endangered and threatened species, and is not
a migratory bird.
To own, control, restrain, transport, or keep.
Domesticated fowl, including chickens, turkeys, and waterfowl,
that are bred for the primary purpose of exhibition or producing eggs
or meat. "Poultry" does not include ratites.
A zoo or aquarium that is an accredited member of the Association
of Zoos and Aquariums.[3]
A member of the group of flightless birds that includes the
ostrich, emu, cassowary, kiwi, and rhea.
A body of water that has no inlet from or outlet to a natural
body of water, except that it may have pipes or similar conduits to
put in or withdraw water that are equipped with barriers that prevent
the passage of fish between the body of water and the other waters
of the State of Wisconsin.
A llama, alpaca, vicuna, or guanaco.
The Town of Lawrence, Brown County, Wisconsin.
The Board of Supervisors for the Town of Lawrence, Brown
County, Wisconsin, and includes designees of the Board authorized
to act for the Town Board.
The Clerk/Treasurer of the Town of Lawrence, Brown County,
Wisconsin.
A person who is licensed in the State of Wisconsin to practice
veterinary medicine under Ch. 89, Wis. Stats., and who is certified
under rules promulgated by the Department of Agriculture, Trade and
Consumer Protection.[4]
The Wisconsin Statutes, including successor provisions to
cited statutes.
A.
The following persons may possess exotic or wild animals:
(1)
A person licensed by the State of Wisconsin Department of Natural
Resources under Ch. 169, Wis. Stats.
(2)
A veterinarian, for the purpose of providing medical treatment to
the animal.
(3)
A public zoo or aquarium, with a permit issued by the Town.
(4)
A circus, with a permit issued by the Town.
(5)
A person authorized by the State of Wisconsin Department of Natural
Resources for the possession of the specific type of harmful wild
animal or exotic or wild animal in the Town.
C.
A person is exempt from holding a license or other approval under
§ 169.04(4), Wis. Stats., or any permit from the Town to
possess live native wild animals if these wild animals are not endangered
or threatened species and are any of the following:
A.
No person may without a permit issued under § 107-16 display in the Town for the purpose of public viewing any exotic or wild animals or harmful wild animals.
B.
This section shall not apply to any of the following:
(1)
Persons that have received a license or authorization from the State
of Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources under Ch. 169, Wis. Stats.
(2)
A public zoo or aquarium, with a permit issued by the Town Board.
(3)
A veterinarian, for the purposes of providing medical treatment to
the animal.
(4)
A circus, with permits issued by the Town Board.
A.
No person may exhibit, possess, sell, or purchase an exotic or wild
animal or harmful wild animal in the Town without a written permit
from the Town Board.
B.
The applicant for a permit shall submit an application that contains
the following:
(1)
The name of the applicant, any agent of the applicant, and the owner
of the premises where the exotic or wild animal or harmful wild animal
will be exhibited, possessed, sold, or purchased, if different from
the applicant.
(2)
The address of the premises where the exotic or wild animal or harmful
wild animal will be exhibited, possessed, sold, or purchased.
(3)
The business and residential telephone number of the applicant, the
business and residential telephone number of any agent of the applicant,
and the business and residential telephone number of the owner of
the premises where the exotic or wild animal or harmful wild animal
will be exhibited, possessed, sold, or purchased, if different from
the applicant.
(4)
The age of the applicant and of the owner of the premises where the
exotic or wild animal or harmful wild animal will be exhibited, possessed,
sold, or purchased, if different from the applicant.
(5)
The legal description of the premises where the exotic or wild animal
or harmful wild animal will be exhibited, possessed, sold, or purchased.
(6)
The manner, if any, of keeping the exotic or wild animal or harmful
wild animal.
(7)
The type and number of wild animals or harmful wild animals if more
than one that will be exhibited, possessed, sold or purchased.
(8)
Any other items requested by the Town Board in writing.
C.
No permit for the display, possession, sale or purchase in the Town
of an exotic or wild animal or a harmful wild animal shall be issued
by the Town Board until a public hearing is held by the Town Board
on the application for a permit. The Town Clerk/Treasurer shall publish
a notice of hearing as a Class 2 notice under Ch. 985, Wis. Stats.,
the cost of which shall be paid by the permit applicant. The Town
Board may, after the public hearing, issue a permit in writing only
if it determines that the exhibition, possession, sale or purchase
in the Town proposed by the applicant will not constitute a public
nuisance or a threat to health and safety of the residents of the
Town. The Town Board may include in the permit specific conditions
to protect public health and safety and to prevent a public nuisance.
A permit shall be for a fixed period determined by the Town Board
and is subject to revocation in the event of a violation of the conditions
of the permit or this article after an applicable public hearing and
notice and determination, as provided in this subsection for an initial
permit application. Upon a determined emergency condition in the Town,
the Town Board may suspend the permit without a hearing.
No person may permit an exotic or wild animal or a harmful wild
animal to run at large or to be released from captivity within the
Town. Any exotic or wild animal or harmful wild animal running at
large shall be subject to seizure, detention and disposal.
Any person, partnership, corporation, or other legal entity that fails to comply with the provisions of this article shall, upon conviction, be subject to a penalty as provided in § 1-3 of this Code, plus the applicable surcharges, assessments, and costs for each violation. Each day a violation exists or continues constitutes a separate offense under this article. In addition, the Town Board may seek injunctive relief from a court of record to enjoin further violations.
