A.
Every
person who owns, possesses, keeps, or harbors a dog of whatever sex
over the age of four months within the city shall pay the city an
annual license fee for each dog. The amounts of fee for neutered and
unneutered dogs and exemptions therefrom, if any, shall be as specified
by resolution adopted by the city council.
B.
Senior
citizens over sixty years of age may register their spayed or neutered
dogs at a reduced fee, which shall be as specified by resolution adopted
by the city council.
(Prior code § 4602; Ord. 2553 § 1, 2018)
If there is any dispute as to the age of a dog, in the absence
of an affidavit from a person who has personal knowledge of date of
birth, a determination made by the contracted animal shelter or animal
control officer is conclusively presumed to be correct.
(Prior code § 4602.5; Ord. 2553 § 1, 2018)
No dog license will be issued without proof of immunization
against rabies. At the time of application for a dog license, the
owner must present proof of such immunization, in writing, to animal
control.
(Prior code § 4602.6; Ord. 2553 § 1, 2018)
A.
An animal
control officer is authorized to collect the license fees from the
owner of a dog required to be licensed, and shall issue a tag for
each dog licensed. A duplicate of a lost license tag may be procured
from the animal control officer upon proof of loss and payment. Tag
fees and duplicate tag fees shall be as specified by resolution adopted
by the city council.
B.
All
fees collected pursuant to the terms of this section shall be paid
into the general fund of the city.
(Prior code § 4604; Ord. 2553 § 1, 2018)
No owner of any dog over the age of four months shall fail,
neglect or refuse to obtain a license for such dog.
(Prior code § 4605; Ord. 2553 § 1, 2018)
A person required by this code to obtain a dog license who fails
to obtain such license within ten days after notice to obtain a dog
license is guilty of an infraction, and the penalty therefor shall
be in addition to all fees and other penalties provided in this code.
(Prior code § 4606; Ord. 2016 § 1, 1985; Ord. 2553 § 1, 2018)
The animal control officer shall keep a file in which he or
she shall enter the name, address and telephone number of the owner
of each dog for which a license is obtained, together with the number
of the tag and the date such tag was issued.
(Prior code § 4607; Ord. 2553 § 1, 2018)
No person owning any dog over the age of four months shall keep,
maintain or allow such dog to be kept or maintained within the city
unless there is attached to such dog a collar on which there shall
be attached a tag for the current license obtained from animal control.
(Prior code § 4608; Ord. 2553 § 1, 2018)
No person shall cause to be attached or shall attach any current
license tag to any dog other than the dog for which such tag was originally
issued.
(Prior code § 4609; Ord. 2553 § 1, 2018)
No person, other than the owner, shall remove any tag worn by
a dog pursuant to the provisions of this chapter, nor shall any person
counterfeit or duplicate any tag, or attach a counterfeit, duplicate
or imitation tag to any dog or possess any such tag.
(Prior code § 4610; Ord. 2553 § 1, 2018)
The city may impound any dog without a valid tag which is on
any street or in any public place, and may keep such dog impounded
for not less than seventy-two hours in the city pound, unless said
dog is redeemed sooner by showing proof of rabies immunization, and
by payment of all fees as specified by resolution adopted by the city
council.
(Prior code § 4611; Ord. 2553 § 1, 2018)
The fees to be charged by the city of Westminster and its contracted
holding facility that provides shelter services for keeping of any
animal shall be as specified by resolution adopted by the city council.
(Prior code § 4612; Ord. 2208 § 1, 1993; Ord. 2553 § 1, 2018)
The city may return any dog found roaming unrestrained to its
owner, if such information is available and if the dog is properly
immunized against rabies. For this, the city may collect a fee as
specified by resolution adopted by the city council.
(Prior code § 4613; Ord. 2553 § 1, 2018)
No person, without the consent of the owner thereof, shall hold
or retain possession of any dog of which he or she is not the owner
for a longer period than twenty-four hours, unless such person shall,
within said twenty-four-hour period, report the possession of such
dog to the animal control officer, giving his or her name and address
and a true description of the dog.
(Prior code § 4614; Ord. 2553 § 1, 2018)
No owner or custodian of any dog shall permit such dog upon
any school grounds, except where such dog is specifically allowed
and that can be verified by written consent from the school authorities.
No person shall fail or refuse to exhibit a copy of the written consent
to any person charged with the enforcement of this section.
(Prior code § 4615; Ord. 2170 § 1, 1992; Ord. 2553 § 1, 2018)
A.
Commercial
Kennel. Any person maintaining a commercial kennel in the city shall
pay an annual business license fee, pursuant to this code. No person
shall maintain a commercial kennel on a residential lot.
B.
Noncommercial
Kennel. Any person maintaining a noncommercial kennel may not keep
or hold more than six animals in the city and shall obtain an annual
permit from animal control, pursuant to this code. In addition, such
persons shall pay individual dog license fees for each dog and comply
with all other applicable requirements provided for in this chapter.
The fee for the annual permit shall be the same as required for an
animal maintenance permit.
C.
Inspections.
Because of the need to protect animals in kennels from unhealthy conditions
and practices, animal control shall have the right to inspect both
commercial and non-commercial kennels at reasonable times, as a condition
to the issuance of a kennel permit/license.
(Prior code § 4603; Ord. 2553 § 1, 2018)
It is unlawful for the owner or person having custody of any
dog to fail to immediately remove and dispose of in a sanitary manner,
by placing in a closed or sealed container or plastic bag and depositing
in a trash receptacle, any feces deposited by such dog upon public
or private property, without the consent of the public or private
owner or person in lawful possession of the property other than property
owned or controlled by the dog owner or person having custody of such
dog. The provisions of this section shall not apply to a blind person
being accompanied by a guide dog. Notwithstanding any other provisions
of this code, every violation of any of the provisions of this section
shall be an infraction.
(Ord. 2170 § 2, 1992; Ord. 2553 § 1, 2018)
The city council of the city of Westminster hereby decrees that maintaining, keeping and/or permitting a barking dog, as defined in Section 6.04.020 of this code, on any premises in the city of Westminster constitutes a public nuisance. Every day the barking dog violation exists beyond the ten-day notice period to correct the problem, as set out in Section 6.08.190 of this code, shall be regarded as a new and separate offense.
(Ord. 2553 § 1, 2018)
A.
Any animal control officer or police officer has the authority to issue an administrative citation pursuant to the procedures set forth in Sections 1.14.030 through 1.14.110 of this code to any responsible person for a barking dog violation that the enforcement officer did not see or hear based upon a complaint signed under penalty of perjury lodged by a member of the community who has been disturbed by the barking dog. All barking dog complaints shall be lodged with the Westminster police department.
B.
Prior
to issuing the administrative citation to the responsible person the
enforcement officer shall send a warning notice via registered or
certified mail or shall personally serve upon the responsible person
a warning notice giving the responsible person ten days from the date
of mailing or date of personal service in which to abate the public
nuisance caused by the barking dog.
C.
The administrative citation shall contain the information set forth in Section 1.14.020 of this code.
E.
The
procedures established in this section may be in addition to criminal,
civil or any other legal remedy established by law which may be pursued
to address violations of the municipal code.
(Ord. 2553 § 1, 2018)
