Animal control.
The animal control functions of the city.
Animal control officer.
Any person or agency designated by the city council to enforce the provisions of this chapter.
Cat.
Any live or dead cat (Felis catus).
Currently vaccinated.
Vaccinated and satisfying the following criteria:
(1) 
The animal just has been at least four (4) months of age at the time of vaccination.
(2) 
At least thirty (30) days have elapsed since the initial vaccination.
(3) 
No more than twelve (12) months have elapsed since the most recent vaccination.
Dog.
Any live or dead dog (Canis familiaris).
Domestic animals.
Shall include all species of animals commonly accepted as being domesticated.
Exotic animal.
An animal introduced from another country and not native to the place where found.
Fowl.
A bird of any kind. A cock or hen of the domestic chicken.
Harbor.
The act of keeping or caring for an animal or of providing premises to which the animal returns for food, shelter, or care for a period of three (3) consecutive days.
Health authority.
A person or agency designated by the city council to receive reports of animal bites, investigate bite reports, insure quarantine of possible rabid animals, and otherwise carry out provisions of the state law pertaining to control and eradication of rabies.
Large livestock.
Horses or any member of the domesticated horse family, including but not limited to mules, donkeys, and ponies, and all types and varieties of cattle.
Owner.
Any person, firm or corporation having title to any animal; or a person who has, harbors, keeps, or causes or permits to be harbored or kept any animal in his or her care, or who permits an animal to remain on or about his or her premises.
Pet animals.
Shall include dogs, cats, rabbits, rodents, birds, reptiles, and any other species of animal that is sold or retained as a household pet, but shall not include skunks, nonhuman primates, and any other species of wild, exotic, or carnivorous animal that may be further restricted in this law.
Running at large.
Not completely confined by a building, wall, or fence of sufficient strength or construction to restrain the animal, or not [on] a leash or held in the hands of the owner or keeper, or not under direct supervision of the owner or within the limits of the owner’s private property.
Small livestock.
All types of domesticated sheep and goats.
Stray animal.
Any animal for which there is no identifiable owner or harborer.
Vaccinated.
Properly injected with a rabies vaccine licensed for use in that species by the United States Department of Agriculture and administered by a veterinarian licensed to practice in the United States.
Wild animal.
Any poisonous or dangerous reptile or any other species of animal that commonly exists in a natural, unconfined state and is usually not domesticated, including, but not limited to, foxes, opossums, raccoons, squirrels, leopards, panthers, tigers, lions, and lynx, unless certified for medical, biological, herpetological, or other scientific research or study. This definition shall apply regardless of state or duration of captivity.
(Ordinance 655-0407, art. I, adopted 4/10/07; Ordinance adopting Code)
Any person violating any provision of this chapter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and punished by a fine not exceeding two hundred dollars ($200.00), and if such violation be continued, each day’s violation shall be a separate offense.
(Ordinance 655-0407, art. III, adopted 4/10/07)
(a) 
Violations involving dogs and cats
. It shall be unlawful for any dog or cat to be at large, dangerous, or a public nuisance, all as defined herein.
(b) 
Responsibility for enforcement
. Enforcement of these regulations shall be the responsibility of the health authority and/or the city police department as appointed by the city council.
(c) 
Issuance of citations
. A peace officer from the city police department shall issue citations for any violation of these regulations.
(d) 
Mailing of citations
. If the person being cited is not present, the peace officer from the city police department may send the citation to the alleged offender by registered or certified mail.
(e) 
Cruelty to animals
. It shall be unlawful for anyone to overdrive, willfully overload, overwork, torture, torment, deprive of necessary sustenance, unnecessarily or cruelly beat, or needlessly mutilate or kill any animal or carry any animal in or upon a vehicle or otherwise in a cruel or inhumane manner, or cause or procure the same to be done, or for anyone in charge or custody of any animal to unnecessarily fail to provide it with proper food and drink, or to cruelly abandon it.
(f) 
Allowing dog or cat to be in violation
. Any individual or corporation who knowingly or intentionally allows their dog or cat to be in violation of any of the provisions of this chapter shall be guilty of a class C misdemeanor and subject to a fine as provided herein.
(Ordinance 655-0407, art. II, adopted 4/10/07; Ordinance adopting Code)
(a) 
No person shall own, keep or harbor any dog or cat over the age of four (4) months within the city limits unless such dog or cat is licensed as provided in this section. Written application for such license shall be made to the city and shall state the name and address of the owner and the name, breed, color, age and sex of the dog or cat and shall be accompanied by a current rabies certificate issued by a licensed veterinarian or anti-rabies clinic. The license fee shall be paid at the time of making application; a numbered receipt given to the applicant shall be issued to the owner.
(b) 
The annual fee shall be as listed in the fee schedule in appendix A to this code.
(c) 
Every person, group of persons or corporation affiliated with any place of business at which more than four (4) dogs and/or cats more than four (4) months of age are kept for sale, breeding, boarding, training, or other commercial purposes, to include but not limited to retail or wholesale trade, shall pay an annual permit fee as listed in the fee schedule in appendix A to this code.
(d) 
All licenses shall be issued for one year. Applications for the new period shall be available for sale at least thirty (30) days in advance of, and sixty (60) days following, January 1st and shall constitute a valid registration upon issuance.
(e) 
No person shall use for any dog or cat a license receipt or license tag issued for another dog or cat.
(Ordinance 655-0407, art. IV, adopted 4/10/07)
(a) 
As used in this section, the term “large and small animals” shall mean and include horses, mules, jacks, jennies, cows, cattle, sheep, goats and similar animals, excluding swine. Any stable, shed, pen or enclosure for animals shall be a distance of at least twenty-five feet (25') from every occupied building or structure used for sleeping, dining, living or business and shall be kept in a sanitary condition, and shall also be kept in such a manner as will be reasonably calculated not to become offensive to adjacent neighbors or to the public.
(b) 
No swine will be allowed within the city limits.
(c) 
The area set aside for the primary use of the animals shall specifically exclude the residence, garage and any other buildings not for the primary use of the animals.
(d) 
All 4-H and/or FFA projects shall be excluded from this section. Any complaints received by the city shall be referred to the 4-H and/or FFA director.
(Ordinance 655-0407, art. VIII, adopted 4/10/07)
(a) 
It shall be unlawful for an owner of any animal, or any other person who has such animal under his or her possession or care, to allow or permit such animal to run at large.
(b) 
It is an exception to subsection (a) that:
(1) 
The animal was a police service animal under the supervision of a peace officer in the performance of his or her official duties.
(2) 
The animal was a 4-H and/or school project under the supervision of the owner.
(c) 
Each animal in violation of this section constitutes a separate offense.
(Ordinance 655-0407, art. IX, adopted 4/10/07)
It shall be unlawful for any person to do the following in the corporate limits of the city:
(1) 
Unsanitary conditions or offensive odors.
Whenever any complaint is made to the city as to the unsanitary condition or offensive odors resulting from the keeping of such livestock or fowl, or if such shall come to the attention of the city without complaint, the city shall investigate the same, and if such unsanitary condition is found to exist, the same shall constitute a nuisance. The city may give the owner or possessor of such livestock or fowl instructions as to how to clean up such premises and abate the nuisance, and if such unsanitary condition is not remedied within seven (7) days thereafter, complaint shall be filed against such owner, keeper or possessor for maintaining a nuisance in the city.
(2) 
Noisy animals.
Harbor any animal and/or fowl which by loud, frequent, or habitual barking, howling, yelping, or other noise or action disturbs any person of ordinary sensibility.
(Ordinance 655-0407, art. X, adopted 4/10/07)
Dangerous wild animals, as defined in V.T.C.A., Health and Safety Code, section 822.101, shall be regulated in accordance with the provisions of V.T.C.A, Health and Safety Code, chapter 822, subchapter E, section 822.101 et seq.
(Ordinance adopting Code)
Dangerous dogs, as defined in V.T.C.A., Health and Safety Code, section 822.041, shall be regulated in accordance with the provisions of V.T.C.A., Health and Safety Code, chapter 822, subchapter D, section 822.041 et seq.
(Ordinance adopting Code)