In this chapter, the following words and terms shall have the following meanings ascribed to them, unless the context indicates otherwise:
means to dump, desert, or leave any animal on public or private property with the intent of terminating any further responsibility for said animals and shall also mean failing to properly redeem any animal impounded or quarantined by the city.
means any living creature, domestic or wild, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish but not including insects or humans.
means the board approved by the city council with members appointed by the city administrator, and contains, at a minimum, one municipal official, the animal welfare officer, and one representative from the city.
means the person designated by the city council to enforce this chapter, or an authorized representative.
means Felis catus and any hybrids thereof.
means a dog that:
Makes an unprovoked attack on a person or another animal that causes bodily injury and occurs in a place other than an enclosure in which the dog was being kept and that was reasonably certain to prevent the dog from leaving the enclosure on its own; or
Commits unprovoked acts in a place other than an enclosure in which the dog was being kept and that was reasonably certain to prevent the dog from leaving the enclosure on its own and those acts caused a person to reasonably believe that the dog will attack and cause bodily injury to that person.
means Canis lupus familiaris and any hybrids thereof.
means the process of temporarily supplying food, shelter, and other necessary care to a homeless animal until a permanent owner can be found.
means geese, ducks, turkeys, chickens, roosters, peafowl, guineas, ostriches, and emus.
means an exception which allows something pre-existing to remain as it is, despite a change to the contrary in the rules applied to newer situations.
means any dog which has been trained for the purpose of protecting property by a guard dog company which is required to be licensed pursuant to V.T.C.A., Occupations Code, chapter 1702, as amended from time to time.
means the product of the mating of two different species of animals regardless of the number of generations born since that original mating.
means a person currently licensed to practice veterinary medicine in the state.
means horses, or any member of the domesticated horse family including but not limited to mules, donkeys, and ponies; all types of varieties of cattle, bulls, and all members of the cow family; and all types of domesticated swine, sheep, and goats.
means a transponder that is placed under an animal’s skin by an injector and can be read by a microchip scanner.
means any person owning, keeping, or harboring an animal or feeding said animal for thirty (30) or more days except for feral cats.
means an individual, firm, partnership, association, corporation or other legal entity.
means an animal other than a common domestic species and regardless of state or duration of captivity, that poses a potential physical or disease threat to the public or that is protected by international, federal or state regulations, including but not limited to the following:
Class Reptilia: Family Helodermatidea (venomous lizards); family Viperidae (rattlesnakes, copperheads, cottonmouths, other pit vipers and true vipers); family Elapidae (coral snakes, cobras, mambas, and other elapids); the following listed species of family Colubridae - Dispholidus typus (Boomslang), Hyrodynastes gigas (water cobra), Boiga (mangrove snake), and Thelotornis (African twig snake) only; order Phidia, family Boidae (racers, boas, water snakes, and pythons); and order Crocodilia (crocodiles, alligators, caimans, and gavials);
Class Aves: Order Falconiformes (such as hawks, eagles, and vultures), subdivision Ratitae (such as rheas and cassowaries); and order Strigiformes (such as owls);
Class Mammalia: Order Carnivora, family Felidae (such as ocelots, margays, tigers, jaguars, leopards, and cougars), except commonly accepted domesticated cats; family Canidae (such as wolves, wolf-dog hybrids, dingos, coyotes, and jackals), except domesticated dogs; family Mustelidae (such as weasels, skunks, martens, mink, and badgers); family Procyonidae (raccoons); family Ursidae (such as bears); order Marsupialia (such as kangaroos and common opossums); order Edentata (such as sloths, anteaters, and armadillos); order Proboscidea (elephants); order Primata (such as monkeys, chimpanzees, and gorillas); order Rodentia (such as porcupines); and order Ungulata (such as antelope, deer, bison, and camels);
Animals not listed: The animal welfare officer may declare any species of animal not listed in this definition as “prohibited” if the confinement of the animal within the city can be shown to constitute a threat to public health and safety; and does not mean:
means not completely confined by a building, wall, or fence of sufficient strength or construction to restrain the animal, expect when such animal is 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. Any animal confined within an automobile or other vehicle shall not be deemed running at large.
means a fenced area or structure that equates to the size of the animal(s) and is:
Locked;
Capable of preventing the entry of the general public, including children;
Capable of preventing the escape or release of the animal(s);
Clearly marked if containing a dangerous dog; and
In conformance with the requirements for enclosures that have been established by the animal welfare officer.
means any physical injury that involves a substantial risk of death/disfigurement, or impairment of any part of the body including, but not limited to, a broken bone or a laceration requiring either stitches or cosmetic surgery.
means action by an animal that is not:
means any animal except the common domestic species.
(Ordinance 2015-004, sec. 1, adopted 9/14/2015)