[Ord. No. 3801 §§1 —
2(73.010), 12-18-1995]
As used in this Chapter, the following words shall have the
meaning ascribed to them in this Section, unless the context otherwise
indicates:
Any four-legged beast of the animal world or any bird, fowl
or reptile, both male and female, otherwise lawfully within the City
of Dexter.
Off the premises of the owner or keeper of such dog, cat
or other animal and not on a leash controlled by some person physically
able to prevent the dog, cat or other animal from escaping.
Any of a family (felidae) of the domestic cat, both male
and female.
All animals of the canine species, both male and female.
A leash, cord, chain, leather strap or line for leading or
restraining a dog, cat or other animal and being no longer than six
(6) feet in length.
Any person owning, keeping, bringing in or harboring a dog,
cat or other animal within the corporate limits of the City of Dexter.
[Ord. No. 3801 §3(73.020), 12-18-1995: Ord. No. 4427 §§1 — 2, 10-16-2006]
All dogs, cats and other animals found within the City without an inoculation tag issued by a duly licensed veterinarian showing vaccination against rabies for the current twelve (12) months shall be considered as strays and may be given up for adoption or disposed of after one (1) week from the time they are picked up. Non-stray animals shall be handled in accordance with the provisions of Section 205.050. Such inoculation requirement shall not apply to any dog, cat or other animal less than six (6) months of age.
[Ord. No. 3801 §4(73.030), 12-18-1995]
The owner or keeper of any dog, cat or other animal within the
limits of the City of Dexter, Missouri, shall keep said dog, cat or
other animal restrained or confined on the premises occupied by the
owner or keeper thereof, except that such owner or keeper may permit
such dog, cat or other animal to be held by a leash when walking or
running over any street, alley, thoroughfare or public park or grounds
within the corporate limits of the City.
[Ord. No. 4102 §§1 —
2, 6-4-2001; Ord. No.
4874, 12-4-2017]
Any owner, keeper or handler of any dog, cat or other animal
shall promptly remove and dispose of all feces left by such animal
on any public property and/or on any private property not owned by
or lawfully occupied by such person.
[Ord. No. 3801 §5(73.040), 12-18-1995]
Any dog or cat or other animal running at large or in violation
of the leash law may be picked up and impounded by the City Police
or any employee of the City, and the owner or keeper thereof notified
as soon as is reasonably possible. An owner or keeper redeeming a
dog or cat or other animal from impoundment shall, before release,
pay an impoundment charge of five dollars ($5.00) plus boarding charges
for each twenty-four (24) hours or fraction thereof that such dog,
cat or other animal has been impounded. If the owner or keeper of
an impounded dog, cat or other animal cannot be identified and found,
or if an impounded dog, cat or other animal is not redeemed by the
owner or keeper within seven (7) days after impoundment, such dog,
cat or other animal may be given up for adoption or disposed of in
a humane manner. Cost of same shall be charged to the owner or keeper
thereof, if such owner or keeper can be identified.
[Ord. No. 4082 §1(73.045), 1-16-2001]
A.
Any
dog or cat which has been impounded by the City of Dexter and remains
unclaimed by its owner or keeper for a period of seven (7) days from
the date of impoundment may be put up for adoption according to the
following terms:
1.
A person wishing to adopt an unclaimed animal must fill out an application
and enter into a contract with the City of Dexter to have the animal
spayed or neutered within six (6) months from the date of adoption.
2.
Any resident of the City adopting an animal must purchase a City
animal license within fifteen (15) days from the date of adoption.
[Ord. No. 3801 §6(73.050), 12-18-1995]
It shall be unlawful for any unauthorized person to break open
the pound or to attempt to do so, or to take or let out any dog, cat
or other animal therefrom, or to take or attempt to take from any
City officer any dog, cat or other animal taken up by such officer
in compliance with this Chapter or in any manner to interfere with
or hinder such officer in the discharge of that officer's duties under
this Section.
[Ord. No. 4421 §1, 9-5-2006]
A.
No
person shall taunt, torment, tease, strike, interfere with, endanger,
injure or kill or administer or subject any desensitizing drugs, chemicals
or substance to any dog used by a Law Enforcement Officer in the performance
of his duties or when the dog is placed in a kennel or any enclosure
while off duty.
B.
This
Section shall not apply to authorized care administered by a validly
licensed veterinarian.
[Ord. No. 3801 §7(73.060), 12-18-1995; Ord. No. 4465 §1, 7-16-2007]
A.
It shall be unlawful for any person to keep, harbor or bring within this City any dangerous or vicious dog, cat or other animal, knowing the same to be dangerous or vicious, and suffer or permit the same to be or run at large upon any public street, sidewalk or thoroughfare, or on the premises of persons other than the owner or keeper, within the City of Dexter. Any dog, cat or other animal that has attacked any person, or which has bitten any person, or which habitually attacks other dogs, cats or animals in the City is declared to be dangerous and may be impounded in accordance with Section 205.050, provided that the same shall have occurred off the premises of the owner or keeper. If a dog, cat or other animal found running at large in violation of this Chapter of the City Code cannot safely be taken up and impounded, the Chief of Police of the City of Dexter, or any of his/her deputies or assistants, may kill the same.
B.
It
shall be unlawful for any person to own, keep, harbor or allow to
be in or upon his/her premises any of the following breeds of dogs
whether full-blooded or mixed: Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire
Terrier or Bull Terrier.
[Ord. No. 3801 §8(73.070), 12-18-1995]
No person shall own, keep or harbor upon his/her premises any
dog, cat or other animal that by loud or frequent or habitual barking,
yelping or howling or by threat of attacking or biting causes fear
or annoyance to neighbors or to persons passing upon the streets or
sidewalks, and the same is also hereby declared to be a public nuisance.
A.
A person
is guilty of animal abuse when a person:
1.
Intentionally or purposely kills an animal in any manner not allowed
by or expressly exempted from the provisions of Sections 578.005 to
578.023 and 273.030, RSMo.;
2.
Purposely or intentionally causes injury or suffering to an animal;
or
3.
Having ownership or custody of an animal knowingly fails to provide
adequate care or adequate control.
[1]
Note — Under certain circumstances this offense can
be a felony under state law.
[Ord. No. 4874, 12-4-2017; Ord.
No. 5004, 8-2-2021]
A.
A person is guilty of animal neglect when he/she has custody or ownership
or both of an animal and fails to provide adequate care or adequate
control which results in substantial harm to the animal, including
the following:
1.
Failure to provide, at suitable intervals of not more than twelve
(12) hours, unless the dietary requirements of the species require
a longer interval, of a quantity of wholesome foodstuff, suitable
for the species and age, sufficient to maintain a reasonable level
of nutrition in each animal, all of which foodstuff is served in a
safe receptacle, dish or container;
2.
Failure to provide sanitary facilities, protection from the
extremes of weather conditions, proper ventilation, and appropriate
space depending on the species of animal, as defined by regulations
of the USDA, as revised;
3.
Failure to provide either continuously or at intervals suitable
to the species, which intervals shall not exceed eight (8) hours,
of a supply of potable water in a safe receptacle, dish, or container.
B.
A person is guilty of animal abandonment when he/she has knowingly
abandoned an animal in any place without making provision for its
adequate care.
C.
A person shall not leave an animal in a non-running motor vehicle
when the outside temperatures are above seventy degrees Fahrenheit
(70° F.) or below thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit (32° F.).
A.
A person
commits the offense of knowingly releasing an animal if that person,
acting without the consent of the owner or custodian of an animal,
intentionally releases any animal that is lawfully confined for the
purpose of companionship or protection of persons or property or for
recreation, exhibition or educational purposes.
B.
As
used in this Section, "animal" means every living
creature, domesticated or wild, but not including Homo sapiens.
C.
The
provisions of this Section shall not apply to a public servant acting
in the course of such servant's official duties.
[Ord. No. 3801 §12(73.110), 12-18-1995]
Any person who shall own or keep or harbor upon his/her premises
more than six (6) dogs and/or six (6) cats which are over the age
of six (6) months shall be deemed to be the owner or keeper of a dog
or cat kennel.
[Ord. No. 3801 §13(73.120), 12-18-1995]
A.
The
owner or keeper of any dog, cat or of any other animal subject to
contracting rabies and to vaccinate against the same and who shall
own, keep or bring such dog, cat or other animal within the corporate
limits of the City of Dexter shall have such dog, cat or other animal
vaccinated against rabies and display the proper metal tag as provided
by the veterinary, and the owner or keeper thereof shall have in their
possession a current certificate issued by a licensed doctor of veterinary
medicine certifying that such dog, cat or other animal has been vaccinated
against the disease of rabies.
[Ord. No. 3801 §14(73.130), 12-18-1995]
A.
Order Of Quarantine Generally. The Board of Aldermen of
the City of Dexter, Missouri, shall have the power and authority at
any time it shall deem it necessary for the protection of the public
peace, health, welfare and safety against the disease known as rabies
to issue an order to quarantine and it shall be the duty of any person
who owns, controls, possesses, keeps or has in custody any dog, cat
or other subject to rabies strictly to comply with such quarantine
order. Notice of such quarantine order shall be given by posting copies
thereof in at least six (6) public places within the City or by publication
in some newspaper published within the City, provided however that
the Board of Aldermen shall have the power and authority at any time
to cancel and recall such quarantine order.
B.
Animals To Be Confined. During the time any quarantine order
issued by the Board of Aldermen pursuant to this Section shall be
and remain in force, all persons owning, keeping or having in their
custody and control any dog, cat or other animal within the corporate
limits of the City of Dexter shall confine such dog, cat or other
animal upon their premises, unless such dog, cat or other animal shall
be muzzled, attached to a leash, and held by a competent person.
C.
Quarantine Of A Dog, Cat Or Other Animal. Owners or keepers
of a dog, cat or other animal which has bitten a person or another
animal, or which acts in a suspicious manner suggesting rabies, or
which is viciously inclined, whether the same occurs upon the premises
of such owner or keeper or elsewhere, and who owns, keeps or brings
within the City of Dexter such dog, cat or other animal shall, upon
receipt of written notice from the Chief of Police or any of his/her
deputies or assistants, impound such dog, cat or other animal for
a period of fourteen (14) days for rabies observation. Such dog, cat
or other animal so impounded or quarantined shall be kept in such
manner that neither human beings nor other animals can be bitten during
such period of observation.
[Ord. No. 3801 §15(73.140), 12-18-1995; Ord. No. 4874, 12-4-2017]
Any owner or keeper of a dog, cat or other animal, or any person
in charge of or having custody and control of a dog, cat or other
animal, who shall violate any provision of this Chapter shall be deemed
guilty of a misdemeanor.
[Ord. No. 3801 §16(73.150), 12-18-1995; Ord. No. 3983 §§1 — 2, 6-7-1999; Ord. No. 4173 §§1 — 2, 5-20-2002; Ord. No. 4874, 12-4-2017]
It shall be unlawful for any person to possess, own or otherwise
have under his/her custody or control any lion, Canada lynx, bobcat,
jaguarundi, hyena, wolf, coyote, python, boa constrictor or any deadly,
dangerous or poisonous reptile or animal in any place within the City
of Dexter other than a properly maintained zoological park, circus,
scientific or educational institution, research laboratory or veterinary
hospital.
