For purposes of this article:
Shall mean both the male and female.
Any lot, enclosure, or premises, or structure or building,
except a veterinary hospital, whereon or wherein four (4) or more
dogs or cats over the age of six (6) months are kept or maintained
for any purposes whatsoever. Kennel or cattery may be individually
or collectively referred to in this article as “pound.”
Any person, firm, or corporation owning or keeping or harboring
or having control of, or custody of, a dog or cat.
(1999 Code, sec. 2.201)
Any owner who shall maintain or keep a dog or cat more than six (6) months of age on any premises within the corporate limits of the city which has not been licensed and vaccinated as required by this article shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be fined as provided for in the general penalty provision found in section 1.01.009 of this code.
(1999 Code, sec. 2.222(a))
Any person who shall refuse to deliver any unlicensed or unvaccinated dog or cat to the city animal control officer or any of his deputies or any city police officer upon demand for impounding shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be fined as mentioned in section 2.03.002.
(1999 Code, sec. 2.222(b)(1))
(a)
Any
dog or cat or animal that has rabies or symptoms thereof, and suspected
of having rabies, or that has been exposed to rabies, shall at once
be released by its owner/possessor for disposal or confinement in
a veterinary hospital approved by the city council or to the city
animal control officer.
(b)
Every
dog and cat that has rabies or symptoms thereof, or any dog or cat
that bites, scratches, or otherwise attacks any person not the owner
or possessor of same, may be immediately impounded and be held at
the owner's expense in any veterinary hospital approved by the city
council or by the city animal control officer. All such costs as herein
incurred shall be the obligation of the animal's owner/possessor and
shall be paid in full before the animal is released. If such amount
is not paid following notice to the owner/possessor, the dog or cat
shall be delivered to the pound and disposed of in accordance with
other provisions of this article.
(c)
Any owner or possessor of a dog or cat who refuses to deliver a dog or cat having rabies or symptoms thereof, or which has bitten, scratched, or otherwise attacked any person not the owner or possessor of same, to the city animal control officer or person authorized to act under this article shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be fined any sum as provided for in the general penalty provision found in section 1.01.009 of this code.
(1999 Code, sec. 2.222(b)(2)-(4))
Any owner, keeper or custodian of a dog who shall allow such dog to run at large, as such term is herein defined, whether on public or private property, except as provided in section 2.03.013, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, if convicted, as mentioned in section 2.03.002.
(1999 Code, sec. 2.222(c))
The city animal control officer, his deputies and city police
officers on duty shall have the right at any reasonable time to inspect
any dog or cat to determine if said dog or cat is licensed and vaccinated
as required by this article and shall have the authority to enter
any premises for such purpose. It shall be unlawful for any person
to refuse entrance to such city animal control officer, his deputies
or city police officers on duty or to impede, obstruct or exclude
such city animal control officer, his deputies or city police officers
on duty when attempting to enter such premises for the purpose of
inspecting such dog or cat, and any person who shall refuse entrance
or impede or obstruct such city animal control officer, his deputies
or city police officers on duty shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and
shall be fined as mentioned above.
(1999 Code, sec. 2.222(d))
No more than three (3) dogs and/or cats over the age of six
(6) months shall be kept on their owner's premises within the city
limits, nor shall any person keep, house, feed, breed, or maintain
more than three (3) dogs or cats over the age of six (6) months at
any time within the city.
(1999 Code, art. 2.400)
Except as provided in section 2.03.013, it shall be unlawful for any person owning or having control over or having custody of any dog to permit or allow such dog to run or be at large upon any public highway, street, alley, court, square, park, sidewalk or any other public property within the corporate limits of the city.
(1999 Code, sec. 2.202)
It shall be unlawful for any person owning or having control
over or having custody of any dog or cat to permit or allow such dog
or cat to run or be at large upon any lot, tract or parcel of land
within the corporate limits of the city, except on fenced property
belonging to the dog or cat owner.
(1999 Code, sec. 2.203)
(a)
Annual license fee.
There is hereby levied upon each
and every dog or cat more than four (4) months of age that is kept,
harbored or maintained by the owner thereof in the corporate limits
of the city an annual license fee as provided for in the fee schedule
found in the appendix of this code.
(b)
License issued by city animal control officer.
Dog and
cat licenses shall be issued by the city animal control officer upon
payment of the license fee and application made upon printed forms
provided for such purpose, which application shall state the name
and address of the owner or keeper of such dog or cat and the name,
breed, color and sex of the dog or cat being licensed.
(c)
License certificate and tag.
Upon payment of the license
fee, the city animal control officer shall issue to the owner a license
certificate and a metallic tag for each dog and cat so licensed. The
tag shall have stamped thereon the year for which it was issued and
the number corresponding with the number on the certificate.
(d)
Proof of vaccination required.
The city animal control
officer shall not issue any license or license tag for any dog or
cat until the owner or person in charge of such dog or cat shall have
obtained and presented to such animal control officer a current certificate
from a veterinarian, licensed to practice veterinary medicine in the
state, verifying that such dog or cat has been vaccinated for rabies.
(e)
License tag not transferable.
Dog license tags shall
not be transferable from one dog or cat to another and it shall be
unlawful for the owner or person having control over or custody of
any dog or cat to transfer such license tag from the dog or cat for
which such tag was issued to any other dog or cat.
(f)
License fees not refundable.
No refunds shall be made
for any dog or cat license fee because of death of the dog or cat
or the owner's leaving the city before the expiration of the license
period.
(Ordinance 2623, sec. I (2.204),
adopted 3/10/14)
It shall be unlawful for any person to maintain or keep a dog
or cat more than six (6) months of age on any premises within the
corporate limits of the city unless such dog or cat wears a collar
or harness securely attached to its body to which shall be securely
attached a tag issued for said dog or cat by a licensed veterinarian,
licensed to practice veterinary medicine in the state, showing that
the dog or cat has been within the current calendar year vaccinated
against rabies, and also securely attached to said collar or harness
a license tag showing said dog or cat has been licensed by the city
animal control officer for the current year. The provisions of this
section shall not apply to dogs or cats six (6) months or less of
age.
(1999 Code, sec. 2.207)
If any dog or cat within the city shall bite, scratch or otherwise
attack any person and the person so attacked was not at the time trespassing
upon the property of the owner or person having control of such dog
or cat, or if it cannot be proved beyond a reasonable doubt that the
person so attacked was provoking or teasing such dog or cat, the municipal
court of the city shall have the authority to order and hold a hearing.
If such court shall determine at such hearing that such dog or cat
is vicious or dangerous to persons or other animals, the court may
order that such dog or cat be kept muzzled, or that such dog or cat
be kept within a sufficient enclosure, or that such dog or cat be
delivered to the city animal control officer and by him destroyed.
(1999 Code, sec. 2.221)
(a)
Designation.
The city council may from time to time
designate certain areas on city property to be known as “dog
parks” where dog owners or those in charge of a dog or dogs
may bring their dogs to run at large.
(b)
Entrance gate.
The dog park may be accessed only through
its designated entrance gate.
(c)
License and vaccination required.
Dogs entering a dog
park must wear current registration and rabies vaccination tags at
all times.
(d)
Rules.
Dog park rules are to be posted at the dog park
and shall include the following:
(1)
Dog owners or persons in possession of dogs must have a leash in
their possession at all times.
(2)
Owners or persons in possession of dogs must clean up and properly
dispose of any waste left by their dog.
(3)
No dog younger than 4 months shall be permitted in the dog park.
(4)
Owners or persons in possession of dogs are limited to 3 dogs per
person per visit.
(5)
Female dogs in season are prohibited.
(6)
Any dog that exhibits, or appears to exhibit, aggressive behavior
shall be immediately leashed and removed from the park.
(7)
Bicycles, scooters, riding toys, motorized toys or other items that
might interfere with the utilization of the park by other patrons
and their dogs are prohibited within the park.
(1999 Code, sec. 2.223; Ordinance 2662 adopted 9/29/14)
