[R.O. 1988 § 5-79; Ord. No. 2599 § 1, 5-2-1988; Ord. No. 3264 § 2, 9-8-1998; Ord. No. 3959 § 1, 6-21-2010]
For the purposes of this Article, a "dangerous animal" shall be any animal with the following characteristics:
(a) 
Any animal which has inflicted severe or fatal injury on a human being. "Severe injury" means any physical injury resulting directly from an animal's bite which results in broken bones, or lacerations requiring stitches, or inpatient hospitalization.
(b) 
Any animal which has inflicted severe or fatal injury to a domestic animal, livestock or poultry without provocation while outside the owner's property.
(c) 
Any animal owned or harbored primarily or in part for the purpose of animal fighting or any animal trained for animal fighting.
(d) 
Any animal which has bitten a human being, without provocation, on public or private property other than the property of the owner.
(e) 
Any animal which, while on the owner's property, has bitten, without provocation, a human being other than the owner or a member of the owner's family who normally resides at the place where the animal is kept.
(f) 
Any animal which, when unprovoked, chases or approaches a person upon the streets, sidewalks, or any public grounds, or private property other than the property of the owner, in a menacing fashion or an apparent attitude of attack, regardless of whether a person is injured by said animal.
[R.O. 1988 § 5-80; Ord. No. 2599 § 2, 5-2-1988; Ord. No. 3264 § 2, 9-8-1998; Ord. No. 3648 § 1, 11-1-2204; Ord. No. 3813 § 1, 7-6-2007]
(a) 
Should a written complaint be filed with an Animal Control Officer or a Police Officer, alleging any of the circumstances set forth in Section 5-79; or an Animal Control Officer or Police Officer personally observe any of the circumstances set forth in Section 5-79, the Animal Control Officer or Police Officer shall issue a notice to the owner or possessor of said animal that said animal will be designated a dangerous animal subject to the regulations of this Article and advise the owner or possessor of said animal that they have five (5) working days to request a hearing before the Appeals Board to appeal such classification. The Appeals Board will consist of the Chief of Police, the City Administrator, and the Mayor, or their delegates. If no request for hearing is timely filed, the animal that is the subject of the complaint shall be deemed a dangerous animal, and said animal and its owner shall be subject to the provisions of this Article.
(b) 
Once a written complaint has been filed and or an Animal Control Officer or Police Officer has personally observed any violation or can provide sufficient probable cause, as provided in the preceding Subsection, the animal shall be confined pending a determination that said animal is a dangerous animal. Such confinement shall be on the owner's premises if the owner complies with the requirements of Section 5-82(d) or with a licensed veterinarian or if the owner's premises are insufficient to comply with Section 5-82, at the Rolla Animal Shelter at the owner's expense.
(c) 
The Appeals Board shall meet within seven (7) working days of the date of appeal to determine whether the animal in question is dangerous within the meaning of this Article. Testimony of the complainant, witnesses, the owner of the animal, and any other person possessing information pertinent shall be permitted in an informal setting.
(d) 
Should a hearing be held by the Appeals Board, and the board determines that the animal is a dangerous animal, then the animal and its owner shall be subject to the provisions of this Article.
(e) 
The Hearing Board shall issue a written finding within five (5) working days after the hearing.
(f) 
The decision of the Appeals Board shall be effective immediately. The animal owner may appeal an adverse decision by petition to the circuit court within thirty (30) days. Notwithstanding an appeal, the decision of the Appeals Board shall take effect immediately except that any animal seized pending appeal shall be confined at the expense of the owner and not destroyed until ten (10) days after the Circuit Court decision becomes final unless the owner has complied with the requirements of Section 5-82.
[R.O. 1988 § 5-81; Ord. No. 2599 §§ 3 — 4, 5-2-1988; Ord. No. 3264 § 2, 9-8-1998]
(a) 
An animal responsible for an unprovoked severe or fatal injury shall be destroyed.
(b) 
In all other cases, a dangerous animal shall be removed from the City and shall not be permitted to be harbored, kept, or possessed within the City limits of Rolla, Missouri, unless the owner of such animal satisfies all of the requirements of this Article.
[R.O. 1988 § 5-82; Ord. No. 2599 § 5, 5-2-1988; Ord. No. 3264 § 2, 9-8-1998]
The owner of the dangerous animal that desires to maintain the animal within the City limits of Rolla, Missouri, rather than remove the animal from the City, shall:
(a) 
Annually register said animal with the City Clerk by paying a license fee of fifty dollars ($50.00).
(b) 
Provide to the City Clerk during registration, two (2) color photographs of the animal showing left and right profiles.
(c) 
Cause said animal to wear at all times a bright orange collar with a metal registration tag attached to it so that it can be readily identified as a dangerous animal.
(d) 
Confine such animal upon the owner's premises either indoors or in a securely enclosed and locked pen suitable to prevent the entry of young children and designed to prevent the animal from escaping. Such pen must be at least five (5) feet by ten (10) feet and must have secure sides and a secure top. If the pen has no bottom that is secured to the sides, the sides must be embedded into the ground no less than twelve (12) inches. The enclosure, when occupied by the dangerous animal, must not be occupied by any other animal. When the dangerous animal is a female and has a litter of young which are under three (3) months of age, the young may occupy the same enclosure as the mother.
(e) 
Display a sign upon their premises stating that there is a dangerous animal on the property. The sign shall be visible and capable of being read from the public street that abuts the property.
(f) 
Provide at registration to the City Clerk proof of liability insurance coverage in an amount of at least one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00) covering any loss or injury caused by the animal that has been designated a dangerous animal. The insurance policy shall require a notice to be sent to the City Clerk should the policy be canceled, terminated, or expired.
[R.O. 1988 § 5-83; Ord. No. 2599 § 6, 5-2-1988; Ord. No. 3264 § 2, 9-8-1998; Ord. No. 3648 § 1, 11-1-2004; Ord. No. 4359 § 1, 8-21-2017]
(a) 
It shall be unlawful for a person to keep a dangerous animal within the City limits of Rolla, Missouri, and fail to comply with the provisions of this Article. Persons found guilty of violating the provisions of this Article shall be subject to a fine not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500.00) or a jail sentence not to exceed thirty (30) days or both such fine and confinement.
(b) 
Any animal found to be a dangerous animal and kept in the City of Rolla, Missouri, in violation of the provisions of this Article may be seized and impounded until the owner thereof complies with the provisions of this Article. If the owner fails to comply with the provisions of this Article within ten (10) days of the date of seizure of the animal, or if the animal is returned to the City limits after being removed, the dangerous animal shall be humanely euthanized.