The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this chapter, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:
Animal
means any live, vertebrate creature, whether domestic or wild.
Cat
means any live or dead cat (Felis catus).
Currently vaccinated
means vaccinated and satisfying the following criteria:
(1) 
The animal must have been at least three months of age at the time of vaccination.
(2) 
At least 30 days have elapsed since the initial vaccination.
(3) 
Not more than 12 months have elapsed since the most recent vaccination.
Dog
means any live or dead dog (Canis familiaris).
Domestic animal
includes all species of animals commonly and universally accepted as being domesticated.
Handling fees
mean fees assessed for the capture, pickup, and transportation to the animal control facility, and such fees shall be in accordance with the city’s rate and fee schedule, section 400-1.
Harboring
means the act of keeping and caring for an animal or of providing a premises to which the animal returns for food, shelter or care for a period of ten days.
Impoundment fees
mean the fees assessed for the keeping, feeding, and watering of animals at the animal control facility, and such fees shall be in accordance with the city’s rate and fee schedule, section 400-2.
Local health authority
means a person designated by the city to receive reports of animal bites, investigate bite reports, insure quarantine of possibly rabid animals and otherwise carry out provisions of state law pertaining to control and eradication of rabies.
Owner
means any person who has right of property in an animal or who harbors an animal or allows an animal to remain about his premises for a period of ten days.
Pet animal
includes dogs, cats, rabbits, rodents, birds, reptiles and any other species of animal which 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 chapter.
Running at large
means not completely confined by a building, wall or fence of sufficient strength or construction to restrain the animal, except when such animal is either on a leash or held in the hands of the owner or keeper, or under direct supervision of the owner within the limits of the owner’s private property. An animal within an automobile or other vehicle of its owner shall not be deemed running at large.
Stray animal
means any animal for which there is no identifiable owner or harborer.
Vaccinated
means properly injected with a rabies vaccine licensed for use in that species by the United States Department of Agriculture.
Vicious animal
means any individual animal or any species that has on two previous occasions without provocation attacked or bitten any person or other animal, or any individual animal which the local health authority has reason to believe has a dangerous disposition, or any species of animal which the local health authority has reason to believe has a dangerous disposition likely to be harmful to humans or other animals.
Wild animal
includes all species of animals which commonly exist in a natural unconfined state and are usually not domesticated, including, but not limited to the following: a lion, tiger, ocelot, cougar, leopard, cheetah, jaguar, bobcat, lynx, serval, caracal, hyena, bear, coyote, jackal, baboon, chimpanzee, orangutan, gorilla, bat, skunk, poisonous reptile, a wild animal whose normal mature weight exceeds 40 pounds, and any hybrid of any animal falling under this definition. This shall apply regardless of state or duration of captivity.
(Ordinance 689 adopted 9/22/04)
Except as otherwise stated, violations of this chapter are punishable as provided in section 1-14.
(Ordinance 689 adopted 9/22/04)
(a) 
Enforcement of this chapter shall be the responsibility of the local health authority or an animal control officer.
(b) 
The local health authority or animal control officer or police officer shall have the authority to issue citations for any violation of this chapter.
(c) 
If the person being cited is not present, the local health authority or animal control officer or police officer may send the citation to the alleged offender by registered or certified mail.
(d) 
It shall be unlawful for any person to interfere with the local health authority or animal control officer or police officer in the performance of duties.
(Ordinance 689 adopted 9/22/04)
It shall be unlawful for any dog or other animal possessed, kept or harbored, other than a cat, to run at large.
(Ordinance 689 adopted 9/22/04)
The following acts or conditions are unlawful and a nuisance. No person shall commit such an act or allow such a condition to exist on property under his care, custody or control:
(1) 
The keeping of any animal which by causing frequent or long continued barking, cry or noise shall disturb any person of ordinary sensitivities in the vicinity.
(2) 
The keeping of any animal in such a manner as to endanger the public health; to annoy neighbors by the accumulation of animal wastes which cause foul and offensive odors, or are considered to be a hazard to any other animal or human being; or by continued presence on the premises of another.
(3) 
All animal pens, stables or enclosures in which any animal may be kept or confined which, from use, have become offensive to a person of ordinary sensitivities.
(4) 
The keeping of bees in such a manner as to deny the lawful use of adjacent property or endanger personal health and welfare.
(5) 
Persistent laxness in supervision of cats so that their running at large results in disturbance to persons of ordinary sensitivities.
(6) 
The keeping of any prohibited animal (section 4-6) and or the keeping of any vicious animal (section 4-7).
(Ordinance 689 adopted 9/22/04)
(a) 
It shall be unlawful to own, possess, confine, or care for any wild animal inside the city.
(b) 
It shall be unlawful to release or allow to run at large any wild or vicious animal.
(c) 
It shall be unlawful to confine or keep any swine within the city, except in or at:
(1) 
A publicly or privately owned zoo maintained or operated by a nonprofit organization or governmental entity;
(2) 
A publicly or privately maintained circus, traveling show or rodeo which does not remain in the city for longer than 30 days out of each year;
(3) 
Slaughterhouses;
(4) 
Hospitals, clinics and other premises operated by licensed veterinarians for the care and treatment of animals; and
(5) 
An agricultural space district as provided by the city zoning ordinances, and the swine are kept no closer than 600 feet from any residential district, church or school.
(d) 
It shall be unlawful to harbor or keep more than four dogs or four cats, or any combination of cats and dogs when the total exceeds four such animals over the age of ten weeks except in an animal pound, clinic, hospital or kennel.
(Ordinance 689 adopted 9/22/04)
(a) 
Any vicious animal found running at large may be destroyed by any peace officer or animal control officer in the interest of public safety.
(b) 
The animal control officer may order any owner or person having care, control or custody of any vicious animal to take such animal permanently from the city. This animal must be removed immediately following receipt of such an order, even if an appeal is initiated. This order may be appealed in writing within ten days to a committee made up of the chief of police or his representative, the city manager or his representative, and the city attorney or his representative. Such committee may uphold, reverse or modify the animal control officer’s order, and may stipulate restrictions on the animal as a condition to allowing the animal to remain in the city. If the committee upholds the animal control’s order, the owner or person having care, control or custody shall not bring the animal back inside the city limits.
(c) 
If the owner or person having care, custody or control of a vicious animal fails to remove such animal as provided for in subsections (a) and (b) of this section, such animal may be impounded and/or destroyed.
(d) 
The owner or person having care, custody and control of a vicious animal must report the disposition and relocation of such animal to the animal control officer in writing, within ten days after the expiration date for removal of such animal from the city. Each day thereafter such information is not provided shall constitute a separate offense.
(e) 
The animal control officer or a police officer shall be authorized to obtain a search and seizure warrant if there is reason to believe that an animal ordered removed from the city for being vicious has not been so removed.
(Ordinance 689 adopted 9/22/04)
(a) 
Running at large.
It shall be unlawful for the owner or keeper of any horse, mule, donkey, cow, cattle, sheep, goat, or any related animal of the equine, bovine, ovine, or antelope families, to permit the same to run at large. The running at large of horses, mules, donkeys, cattle, sheep, goats, or related animals of the equine, bovine, ovine, or antelope family, is hereby declared a nuisance.
(b) 
Grazing.
It shall be unlawful for the owner or keeper of any animal named in subsection (a) to permit any such animal to graze upon or be unattended on any public street or thoroughfare within the city, or to permit the same to graze or go upon any public or private property within the city, except by permission of the owner or custodian of such private or public property.
(c) 
Owner of premises may confine, etc.
If any animal named in this section is found upon the premises of any person without permission, the owner or occupant of such premises shall have the right to confine such animal until he can notify the police chief or other designated officer of the city. When so notified, such official shall cause such animal to be impounded.
(Ordinance 689 adopted 9/22/04)
It shall be unlawful for any person owning or having possession of any animal to release the animal within the city with the intention of abandoning the animal to run at large as a stray animal.
(Ordinance 689 adopted 9/22/04)