[R.O. 2008 §245.010; Ord. No. 418 §1, 6-8-1992]
The following words and phrases, when used in this Chapter,
shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them:
Any member of the feline (genus Felis) family.
The keeping and maintaining by any person of more than three
(3) cats over six (6) months of age within the City limits.
Any member of the canine (genus Canis) family.
A fence or structure of at least six (6) feet in height forming
or causing an enclosure suitable to prevent the entry of young children
and suitable to confine a vicious dog in conjunction with other measures
which may be taken by the owner, such as tethering of the vicious
dog. Such enclosure shall be securely enclosed and locked and designed
with secure sides, top and bottom and shall be designed to prevent
the animal from escaping from the enclosure.
The keeping and maintaining by any person of more than three
(3) dogs over six (6) months of age within the City limits.
Any person owning, keeping or harboring any dog or cat within
the City limits.
Any dog:
Which, when unprovoked, in a vicious or terrorizing manner approaches
any person in an apparent attitude of attack upon any street, sidewalk
or other area used by the public or dedicated to public use;
With a known propensity, tendency or disposition to attack unprovoked,
to cause injury or to otherwise endanger the safety of human beings
or domestic animals, as defined in this Chapter;
Which bites, inflicts injury, assaults or otherwise attacks
a domestic animal or human being without provocation on any property;
Owned or harbored primarily or in part for the purpose of dog
fighting or any dog trained for dog fighting; or
Which is required to be licensed by the City of Ironton and
which is not so licensed.
A dog is not a vicious dog if an injury or damage is sustained
by a person who, at the time such injury or damage was sustained,
was committing a willful trespass or other tort upon premises occupied
by the keeper or owner of the dog, or was teasing, tormenting, abusing,
or assaulting the dog or was committing or attempting to commit a
crime or violation of a municipal ordinance.
A dog is not a vicious dog if any injury or damage is sustained
by a domestic animal which, at the time such injury or damage was
sustained, was teasing, tormenting, abusing or assaulting the dog.
A dog is not a vicious dog if the dog was protecting or defending
a human being within the immediate vicinity of the dog from an unjustified
attack or assault.
[R.O. 2008 §245.020; Ord. No. 358 §2, 7-23-1984]
It shall be unlawful for any person owning, controlling, harboring,
possessing, or having the management or care, in whole or in part,
of any dog or cat to permit such dog or cat to run at large. For the
purposes of this Chapter, every dog or cat when on any street, alley
or any other public places in the City of Ironton, which is not attached
to a leash, the other end of which is securely held, or when on private
property within said City, which is either not attached to a leash,
the other end of which is securely held or which is not so confined
to the owner's property by suitable means such as a leash, chain or
fence so as to prevent its straying from the premises, shall be deemed
running at large.
[R.O. 2008 §245.023; Ord. No. 418 §2, 6-8-1992; Ord. No. 447 §1, 1-9-1995]
A.
It shall be unlawful for any person or persons residing within the same household or residence or upon the same real property located within the City of Ironton, Missouri, to keep or maintain in the aggregate more than three (3) cats over six (6) months of age within the City limits without first obtaining a special use permit from the Ironton Board of Aldermen and a cattery license. It shall also be unlawful for any person to keep and maintain in the aggregate more than three (3) dogs over six (6) months of age within the City limits without first obtaining a special use permit from the Ironton Board of Aldermen and a kennel license. A special use permit shall be applied for in writing and may be granted by the Ironton Board of Aldermen in accordance with the rules and regulations set forth in Chapter 400, Zoning Regulations, of the City of Ironton, Missouri. No person shall establish a cattery or kennel within the City of Ironton, Missouri, without first applying for and receiving a special use permit for such cattery or kennel from the Ironton Board of Aldermen.
B.
Any person within the City limits, managing or maintaining a cat cattery or dog kennel shall pay a minimum annual license fee in the amount of two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00), which license fee shall entitle the cattery or kennel owner to keep and maintain five (5) cats or five (5) dogs over six (6) months of age in such cattery or kennel, and two dollars ($2.00) for each additional cat or dog over six (6) months of age under restraint and on the cattery or kennel owner's premises at all times. It is further provided that all cats or dogs covered by this license shall be vaccinated as provided in Section 205.040 of this Chapter.
[R.O. 2008 §245.025; Ord. No. 418 §3, 6-8-1992; Ord. No. 628 §§ 1 — 2, 11-14-2016]
It shall be unlawful for any owner of any dog, cat or other
domestic animal over three (3) months of age to keep or maintain any
such animal unless it shall have been vaccinated with anti-rabies
vaccine, by either a licensed veterinarian or by a self-administered
kit, so long as the owner provides appropriate documentation verifying
the anti-rabies vaccination has occurred, the type of vaccination,
the date of vaccination, and the type of kit utilized therefor; and
such vaccination shall be renewed from time to time as may be necessary.
The owner of any dog, cat or other domestic animal shall at all times,
upon the request of any Police Officer, Animal Control Officer or
Assistant Animal Control Officer, furnish proof that such animal has
been vaccinated with anti-rabies vaccine and that the vaccination
is still effective.
[R.O. 2008 §245.030; Ord. No. 358, §§3 — 5, 7-23-1984]
A.
Registration. No dog or cat shall be permitted to
be and remain within the corporate limits of the City of Ironton,
Missouri, unless the owner thereof, or someone for said owner, shall
have caused said dog or cat to be registered with the City of Ironton,
Missouri, and the registration fee on said dog or cat to be paid on
or before the first day of January of each year.
B.
Registration Fee. The registration fee on each dog
or cat, male or female, of which the certificate of a veterinarian
or the affidavit of the owner is produced, shall be two dollars ($2.00)
per year, payable to the City Collector of Ironton; upon payment of
the registration fee, a suitable identification tag will be issued
to the owner for attachment to the collar of the dog or cat.
C.
Registration Tags And Certificates, How Furnished. The City Collector shall procure, whenever necessary, such a number
of metallic tags as may be required, of convenient size and shape
and design, to be changed at the discretion of the Collector; and
said City Collector shall also cause to be prepared printed blanks
bound in book form, and arranged in such manner that one (1) certificate
can be torn out and a stub or duplicate thereof left in the book.
D.
Anti-Rabies Vaccination Required. Before registering such dog or
cat, the owner of the dog or cat shall produce to said City Collector
a tag or certificate issued by a duly licensed and practicing veterinarian
of the State of Missouri, or shall produce documentation evidencing
a self-administered vaccination by the owner and thereby produce documentation
verifying the date of the vaccination of said dog or cat by said self-administered
kit, for said particular dog or cat, showing that said dog or cat
has been immunized or vaccinated against rabies at the expense of
the owner or custodian by administration of anti-rabic virus vaccine
by a licensed veterinarian or per said authorized self-administered
kit.
[Ord. No. 628 §§ 1,
3, 11-14-2016]
[R.O. 2008 §245.040; Ord. No. 358 §6, 7-23-1984]
It shall be the duty of every Police Officer and Animal Control Officer of the City of Ironton to take up and impound, in a suitable place, to be designated by the Board of Aldermen, any and all dogs and cats not restrained upon a leash as provided in Section 205.020 of this Chapter. If the dog or cat wears a tag or if its owner can be identified by any reasonable means, the owner of such animal shall be notified by a Police Officer or Animal Control Officer as soon as possible after the animal has been impounded. It shall further be the duty of every Police Officer and Animal Control Officer of the City of Ironton to kill any dog or cat acting in such a manner as to be dangerous to the public or which cannot be safely taken up and impounded without endangering the life or limb of the officer attempting to capture and impound the same.
[R.O. 2008 §245.050; Ord. No. 358 §7, 7-23-1984; Ord. No. 533 §1, 10-25-2004]
A.
Any dog or cat so taken and impounded as aforesaid may be redeemed
by the owner or custodian thereof by paying to a Police Officer or
Animal Control Officer, such money being transferred from the collecting
officer to the City Collector, a sum of money in accordance with the
following fee schedule:
B.
In the event that the dog or cat is not redeemed by the owner or
custodian thereof within ten (10) days after the date of taking up
and impounding the same, any person may redeem such dog or cat by
paying the fees set forth in this Section.
[R.O. 2008 §245.060; Ord. No. 358 §8, 7-23-1984; Ord. No. 533 §2, 10-25-2004]
All dogs and cats remaining in the City's animal shelter ten
(10) days after the date of taking up and impounding the same shall
be killed or disposed of by a Police Officer, Animal Control Officer
or their duly authorized agent.
[R.O. 2008 §245.070; Ord. No. 358 §9, 7-23-1984]
No person shall own, keep or harbor any dog that by loud, continual
or frequent barking, howling or yelping shall annoy or disturb any
neighborhood or person, or which habitually barks at or chases pedestrians,
horses or any vehicle whatsoever, to the annoyance of such pedestrians
or drivers or owners of horses or vehicles; provided, however, that
no violation under this Section shall be prosecuted without there
first being filed by an injured party a signed complaint formally
charging said violator hereunder.
[R.O. 2008 §245.080; Ord. No. 358 §11, 7-23-1984]
Whenever a dog or cat shall be impounded and shall not be redeemed by the owner, and the owner can be identified, such owner shall be deemed guilty of an ordinance violation and shall be subject to a penalty as set forth in Section 100.080 of this Code, together with cost of suit, and maintaining and destroying such animal.
[R.O. 2008 §245.090; Ord. No. 358 §12, 7-23-1984]
Every owner of a dog or cat and every person who shall suffer or permit a dog or cat to remain upon premises under his/her immediate control without having caused such dog or cat to be registered and the registration fee thereon to be paid as provided herein, shall be guilty of an ordinance violation, and subject to penalty as provided in Section 100.220 of this Code.
[R.O. 2008 §245.100; Ord. No. 358 §13, 7-23-1984]
Any person or persons who shall interfere with, resist, hinder or obstruct any member of the Police Force, or any Animal Control Officer, in the discharge of any duty imposed upon him/her by this Chapter, such person shall be deemed guilty of an ordinance violation, and subject to penalty as provided in Section 100.220 of this Code.
[R.O. 2008 §245.110; Ord. No. 418 §4, 6-8-1992]
A.
It shall be unlawful to keep a vicious dog within the City unless
the owner of such vicious dog meets the following requirements:
1.
The owner shall display a sign on his or her premises warning
that there is a vicious dog on the premises and reading, in letters
not less than two (2) inches high: "VICIOUS DOG HERE," "BEWARE OF
VICIOUS DOG," "FIERCE DOG HERE," or "BEWARE OF FIERCE DOG." The sign
shall be conspicuously visible to the public. In case a minor is the
owner or keeper of such vicious dog, the duty of posting this notice
shall be upon the adult person in whose family the minor lives, or
the adult person who is in charge of the premises where such vicious
dog is kept.
2.
The owner shall have a locked enclosure for the vicious dog
on the property where the vicious dog will be kept or maintained,
and the vicious dog shall be confined in said enclosure, with the
door locked. If the vicious dog is removed from the enclosure, it
shall be securely muzzled and restrained with a chain having a minimum
tensile strength of three hundred (300) pounds and not exceeding three
(3) feet in length.
3.
The owner shall notify the Police Department or Animal Control
Officer within twenty-four (24) hours if a vicious dog is at large,
is unconfined, or has attacked another animal or a human being.
B.
It shall be unlawful to own or harbor any dog for the purpose of
fighting or train, torment, badger, bait or use any dog for the purpose
of causing or encouraging said dog to commit unprovoked attacks upon
human beings or domestic animals. It shall be unlawful to possess
with intent to sell, offer to sell, breed, buy or attempt to buy any
vicious dog.
C.
The provisions of this Section concerning vicious dogs shall not
apply to dogs owned by any Law Enforcement Agency or Officer which
are used in the performance of police work.
D.
Any person convicted of violating this Section concerning vicious
dogs shall be adjudged guilty of an ordinance violation, and for the
first offense, shall be punished by a fine of not less than ten dollars
($10.00) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500.00) or by imprisonment
in the City Jail not exceeding ninety (90) days, or by both such fine
and imprisonment. For each subsequent violation of this Section, the
minimum fine shall be one hundred dollars ($100.00). Each day any
such violation shall continue shall constitute a separate offense.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Section 205.140, Keeping of Pit Bulls Prohibited, was repealed 3-12-2018 by Ord. No. 637. In accordance with said repeal, the animal control officer shall no longer be required to cite persons for the unlawful keeping, harboring, owning, or in any way possessing pit bulls within the City of Ironton, Missouri. In the event there are any pending violations of said 205.140 of the Ironton Municipal Code within the Ironton Municipal Court, then the city attorney is hereby authorized and instructed to dismiss with prejudice any such pending cases. Further, any and all pit bull dogs which may be located within the City of Ironton shall be subject to any and all other provisions within the animal control ordinances of the City of Ironton and further with respect to any pit bull that is found to be a vicious dog in accordance with the provisions of Section 205.130 of the Ironton Municipal Code.
