[Ord. 785, 12/3/2001]
As used in this Part, the following terms have the meaning indicated,
unless a different meaning clearly appears from the context:
Any dog, cat or any other animal in the nature of a pet.
For the purposes of this section, animal does not include livestock
or those animals being raised for agricultural purposes.
Any person having a right of property in any dog, cat or
other animal in the nature of a pet, or having custody of any animal,
or any person who harbors or permits an animal to remain on or around
his or her property.
Being upon any public highway, street, park, or any other
public land, or upon property of another person other than the owner,
and not being accompanied by or under the control of the owner or
any other person having custody of said animal.
[Ord. 785, 12/3/2001]
It shall be unlawful for the owner of any animal or animals
to allow or permit such animal or animals to run at large in the Township
of Ferguson.
[Ord. 785, 12/3/2001; as amended by Ord. 820, 12/8/2003]
Any police officer or animal enforcement officer may seize any
animal found at large in the Township of Ferguson. Such animals are
to be impounded in a licensed facility or other safe environment.
[Ord. 785, 12/3/2001]
Owners of licensed dogs are to be notified in person, by telephone
or by registered or certified mail, with return receipt, that the
dog is impounded and will be disposed of in five days if not claimed.
Five days after notification or after the return receipt has been
received, and the dog has not been claimed, the dog may be sold, adopted
or destroyed in accordance with the 1982 Dog Law.
[Ord. 785, 12/3/2001]
Unlicensed animals that are seized are to be held for 48 hours
and if not claimed may be disposed of by sale, adoption or destruction
in some humane manner.
[Ord. 785, 12/3/2001; as amended by Ord. 820, 12/8/2003]
The police or animal enforcement officer may kill animals that,
in the opinion of any police officer or animal enforcement officer,
constitute a threat to public health and welfare.
[Ord. 785, 12/3/2001; as amended by Ord. 820, 12/8/2003]
The first two times an animal is seized, the owner shall pay
a fine of $15 to Ferguson Township as well as reasonable fees for
keeping the animal. Any person allowing an animal to run at large
a third time in violation of this Part shall, upon conviction thereof
in a proceeding before a district justice pursuant to the Pennsylvania
Rules of Criminal Procedure, shall be sentenced to a fine not to exceed
$1,000 plus costs and, in default of payment of said fines and costs,
to a term of imprisonment not to exceed 90 days.
[Ord. 408, 10/24/1989; as amended by Ord. 820, 12/8/2003]
1.
No person owning, harboring, keeping or in charge of any domestic
animal shall cause, suffer or allow such domestic animal to soil,
defile, defecate on or commit any nuisance on any common thoroughfare,
sidewalk, passageway, bypath, play area, park or any place where people
congregate or walk, or upon any public property whatsoever or upon
any private property without the permission of the owner of said property.
2.
The restriction in this Part shall not apply to that portion of any
public street lying between the street side of the two sidewalks,
which area shall be used to curb domestic animals under the following
conditions:
A.
The person who so curbs such domestic animal shall immediately remove
all feces deposited by such domestic animal by any sanitary method
approved by the animal enforcement officer.
B.
The feces removed from the designated area shall be disposed of by
the person owning, harboring, keeping or in charge of any domestic
animal curbed in accordance with the provisions of this Part in a
sanitary manner approved by the animal enforcement officer.
3.
Domestic animal feces deposited upon private property shall not be
permitted to accumulate to the degree that it becomes a public health
nuisance or hazard. In such cases where domestic animal feces are
permitted to accumulate on private property by the owner, the animal
enforcement officer may, upon complaint or at his own initiative,
conduct an investigation, after which the accumulation may be declared
a public health hazard or nuisance and the owner shall be ordered
to remove and dispose of the accumulated feces in a sanitary manner.
The order to remove such accumulated feces shall be given personally
to the owner or shall be sent by registered mail and the owner shall
be given a period of five days from the date of receipt of the order
to clean the property and remove the accumulated feces.
[Ord. 408, 10/24/1989; as amended by Ord. 820, 12/8/2003]
Any person violating § 2-201, of this Part shall, upon conviction before a District Justice in a proceeding commenced pursuant to the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure, be sentenced to pay a fine of not less than $25 for the first offense, not less than $50 for the second offense within a year, and not less than $300 for the third offense and all subsequent offenses within a year and the costs of prosecution, and in default of payment of any such fine and costs, be committed to the County jail for a period not to exceed 30 days.
