[Ord. No. 824 Art. I, 12-20-2016]
As used in this Article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
OWNER
Any person owning, keeping, harboring or otherwise having the care or control of any animal.
[R.O. 2012 §205.010; Ord. No. 659 Art. I §1, 10-3-2001; Ord. No. 824 Art. I § 1, 12-20-2016]
It shall be unlawful for any person within the corporate limits of the City of Knob Noster, Missouri, to own, keep, possess, harbor or permit to remain on his/her premises any dog over the age of six (6) months which has not been registered and for which a current year's dog license has not been issued and which dog has not been vaccinated against rabies in accordance with the terms set forth in this Article.
[R.O. 2012 §205.020; Ord. No. 659 Art. I §2, 10-3-2001; Ord. No. 824 Art. I § 2, 12-20-2016]
A. 
No dog license shall be issued for any dog kept, possessed, harbored or allowed upon the premises of any person within the City of Knob Noster, Missouri, unless and until such dog shall first have been vaccinated against rabies in accordance with the terms set forth in this Section.
B. 
Prior to the issuance of a dog license there shall be presented to the City a current certificate of vaccination, by a duly licensed veterinarian, and a rabies vaccination tag. The certificate shall show the name and address of the owner, the sex of the dog, the date of vaccination, and shall contain a description of the dog.
C. 
A dog license shall annually be obtained from and issued by the City of Knob Noster, Missouri. Upon issuance of each license it shall be the duty of the City to deliver to the person procuring the license a tag on which shall be engraved a license number and the year of issuance. The owner of such dog shall cause such license tag together with the rabies vaccination tag to be fastened securely around the dog's neck and worn continuously for the purpose of displaying to the public the fact that said dog has been duly vaccinated and licensed according to law.
D. 
Approved vaccines may be either one-year or three-year vaccines as approved by the USDA.
[R.O. 2012 §205.030; Ord. No. 659 Art. I §3, 10-3-2001; Ord. No. 824 Art. I § 3, 12-20-2016]
A. 
A. The City shall collect from every person or persons who shall keep any dog or dogs within the corporate limits of the City of Knob Noster, Missouri, or permit any dog or dogs to remain on his/her premises in the said City, the following fees:
1. 
For every male dog or spayed female dog, the sum of five dollars ($5.00).
2. 
For every female dog the sum of eight dollars ($8.00).
B. 
Said license fees are to be due and payable on the first day of May of each year.
[R.O. 2012 §205.040; Ord. No. 659 Art. I §4, 10-3-2001; Ord. No. 824 Art. I § 4, 12-20-2016]
Unless registration and license is procured prior to the first day of June of each year, and on the same date of each succeeding year thereafter, then the foregoing license fee shall be increased by the sum of five dollars ($5.00).
[R.O. 2012 §205.050; Ord. No. 659 Art. I §5, 10-3-2001; Ord. No. 824 Art. I § 5, 12-20-2016]
It shall be unlawful for any person to remove or cause to be removed a dog license or vaccination tag issued under the terms and provisions of this Article without the written consent of the owner of said dog.
[R.O. 2012 §205.060; Ord. No. 659 Art. I §6, 10-3-2001; Ord. No. 824 Art. I § 6, 12-20-2016]
A. 
Required. The owner of a dog shall keep his dog under restraint at all times and shall not permit such dog to be at large, off the premises or property of the owner, unless under the control of a competent person.
B. 
Legal Liability for a Dog not Under Restraint. The owner of any dog who fails to keep his dog under restraint shall be held liable for all damages caused by such dog.
C. 
Handling of when not Under Restraint; Summary Killings of Dogs. For any dog found running at large and which cannot be safely taken up and impounded, then the Police Department is hereby authorized to use such force as may be necessary to capture such dog, including the actual killing of the dog.
D. 
Prosecution of Owner when Dog is At Large. Whenever a dog is at large, known to be owned, harbored, kept or fed at a certain residence or by a certain family or person, then the head of such residence or family, or any adult living there, is hereby declared to be the owner of the dog and shall be charged with a violation of this section even though the dog is not captured; and the officer may, upon request, search the premises where he believes the dog is kept to attempt to verify that the dog is being kept by such person as owner.
E. 
Dangerous Dogs. Any dog that manifests a cross, dangerous, ferocious or vicious disposition or a disposition to bite must be confined behind a fence high enough that it cannot jump over or be secured by a chain which will not allow it to come closer than six (6) feet to any walk, roadway or property line of another person. The owner of such a dog shall cause to have posted on the premises conspicuously visible to the public a sign of not less than six (6) inches tall reading "BEWARE OF BAD DOG."
F. 
Enforcement. The City Marshall, City Administrator or any other person given authority to so enforce shall enforce this Article.
G. 
Impoundment. Any dog found in violation of this Article is subject to being taken up and impounded in a place so provided by the City of Knob Noster, Missouri.
[R.O. 2012 §205.070; Ord. No. 659 Art. I §7, 10-3-2001; Ord. No. 824 Art. I § 7, 12-20-2016]
A. 
The City shall take up and impound every dog found in the City not wearing a license tag or vaccination tag of the current year, if within the class of dogs required to have license, whether such dogs be with their owner, running at large, or enclosed. If the owner produces to the City a certificate of registry and proof of loss of tag, the City shall refrain from taking up such dog. If such owner shall fail within three (3) days thereafter to procure a new tag, for which he/she shall pay the sum of one dollar ($1.00), his/her dog may be taken up and impounded as if unregistered.
B. 
Neither registration nor license shall be construed to permit the running at large of any bitch in heat, and all such dogs found running at large shall be taken up and impounded.
C. 
Whenever any owner or person in charge of any dog is notified of such dog running at large and willfully fails to confine said animal, then it shall be lawful for the City to take up said animal and cause the same to be destroyed.
[R.O. 2012 §205.080; Ord. No. 659 Art. I §8, 10-3-2001; Ord. No. 824 Art. I § 8, 12-20-2016]
A. 
At any time prior to destroying, the owner upon satisfactory proof of ownership may redeem his/her dog upon exhibiting certificate of registry and paying impounding fees as follows:
1. 
The charge for taking up an animal for impoundment will be eleven dollars ($11.00), which will cover the cost that the City incurs during capture and transportation of the animal.
2. 
The charge for care and impoundment of an animal within the City shall be the actual charge, established by the boarding facility, for such care and boarding while such animal was in confinement.
3. 
Any portion of a twenty-four-hour period beginning when the animal is impounded shall constitute a whole day for purposes of calculating the fee for impoundment.
B. 
If the owner fails to redeem his/her dog within three (3) days after impounding, any person may, upon payment of the capture and boarding fees, procuring registration and license, redeem such dog.
[R.O. 2012 §205.090; Ord. No. 659 Art. I §9, 10-2-2001; Ord. No. 824 Art. I § 9, 12-20-2016]
Any owner or persons in charge of any dog, whose animal is running at large, committing property damage, creating unsanitary conditions, unreasonably loud or excessive barking, snapping, or biting at any person or persons, or nuisance in general, may be required by written notice from the Mayor, Municipal Judge, City Administrator or City Marshal to confine said animal within the owner's own premises. Any person willfully violating the provisions of this section shall be subject to the fine provided hereinafter.
[R.O. 2012 §205.100; Ord. No. 659 Art. I §10, 10-3-2001; Ord. No. 824 Art. I § 10, 12-20-2016]
Nothing in this Article shall be held to apply to the animals of transients or temporary persons who will be in the City for less than thirty (30) days.
[R.O. 2012 §205.110; Ord. No. 659 Art. I §11, 10-3-2001; Ord. No. 824 Art. I § 11, 12-20-2016]
If any dog found running at large without license tag or otherwise in violation of this Article cannot be safely taken up and impounded, the City Marshal, or his designated representative, shall kill the same.
[Ord. No. 824 Art. I § 12, 12-20-2016]
Any individual who shall hinder or obstruct an official in the enforcement of this Article shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and any person who violates any of the provisions of this Article, upon conviction, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and punished by a fine of not less than one dollar ($1.00) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500.00) or up to ninety (90) days' imprisonment, or by both such fine and imprisonment.