The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this article, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:
means the leaving of an animal unattended for more than 24 hours, releasing the animal upon public highways or public or private lands, or failure to provide proper or adequate food, water, exercise, shelter or medical care. Returning an ear-tipped cat to the location where it was trapped after assessment, sterilization and vaccination shall not be considered abandonment under this article.
means the mistreatment through intent or neglect of any animal in a manner that caused or is likely to cause stress or physical injury.
shall mean a sturdy, clean structure which provides animals:
means any living creature other than human, the term shall include livestock, fowl, reptiles, amphibians, and wildlife, as well as dogs, cats and other creatures commonly owned as pets.
means the officer or office of the city primarily responsible for the enforcement of regulations regarding animals.
means a facility designated by the city to be used for the impoundment of dogs and cats taken up by the animal control officers.
means the breaking of the skin by an animal's teeth, mouth, or claws.
means a domesticated member of the felidae (feline) family, other than a lion, tiger, bobcat, jaguar, panther, leopard or cougar, ocelots or margays or cat hybrid.
means any free roaming cat without visibly discernible evidence of ownership or microchip identification that may be cared for by one or more residents in the area, known or unknown. Community cats that are ear tipped indicate an unowned cat that is sterilized and vaccinated against rabies at least one time.
means a person who provides care to a community cat such as food, water, shelter and veterinary care, while not being considered the owner, custodian, harborer, possessor, or keeper of a community cat under this ordinance.
means a program pursuant to which community cats are sterilized, vaccinated against rabies, ear-tipped, and returned to the location where they were found.
means animal shelter attendants/humane society employees shall be the designated care taker of animals in their custody.
means all members of the canine family.
means a statement from a veterinarian stating that an animal is healthy, free from signs of infections or contagious diseases, and up to date on vaccinations. It shall include: the animal's microchip number, the animal identification such as species, age or date of birth, sex, sterilization status and breed, and date of immunization.
means to place in the animal shelter.
means conditions in which the actual or effective outdoor temperature is below 32 degrees Fahrenheit or above 80 degrees Fahrenheit, or there is an active advisory for hurricane, windstorm, tropical storm, flood, flash flood, severe thunderstorm, or tornado warning issued by the National Weather Service.
means any person owning, claiming, keeping, having in possession, harboring, or permitting to be harbored or kept, having the care of permitting any animal to remain on or about his premises.
means any building, lot, yard, shed or other place on or in which six or more dogs or cats more than eight weeks old are kept; or any building, lot, yard, shed or other place on or in which one or more dogs or cats are boarder for pay.
means a rope, cord, strap, chain, or strand not shorter than ten feet in length attached to such dog in such a manner as to enable a person to control and restrain the movements of such dog, such control and restraint including, but not being limited to, preventing such dog from contacting another person or trespassing upon private property or restricted public property.
means any veterinarian licensed by any state of the United States, and, in addition, if practicing in this state, licensed by the Texas State Board of Veterinarian Examiners.
means a small radio frequency identification device that is inserted between the shoulder blades of an animal and is inert until activated by a scanner. The microchip provides specific information about an animal's identity.
means any animal, male or female, rendered incapable of breeding or being bred, i.e., castration in the male and spaying or ovariectomy in the female.
means:
The damaging, soiling, defiling, urinating or defecating upon, or repeatedly trespassing upon, property other than its owner's.
Excessive, continuous, or unreasonable, unwarranted whining, howling, barking or annoying noise making so as to disturb the peace and repose of persons living or working nearby.
Molesting, threatening, attacking or interfering with persons on private or public property, chasing motor vehicles or bicycles, attacking other domestic animals, or disturbing or turning over garbage or trash containers, or causing unsanitary conditions or odors on or about the premises of its owner by urination or defecation.
means any official of the city deputized as such with authority to carry out and perform the various acts provided to be performed by city officers under this article.
means any person who has purchased or who owns, keeps, maintain, or harbors or has care, custody or control of one or more animals. Community cat caretakers, as defined herein, shall not be considered an owner for the purposes of licensing and enforcement under this article.
means those private property premises under the occupancy and control of a keeper by ownership, lease, or other rental agreement.
means to be free of restraint beyond the boundaries of the premises of the keeper.
means injury that causes serious permanent disfigurement or protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily member or organ.
means a permanent mark which is made on the skin of an animal by puncturing the skin and inserting indelible color, and which is used to show ownership or signifies the animal has been vaccinated.
means the protective inoculation against rabies by inoculation with antirabies vaccine recognized and approved by the United States Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Animal Industry, given in an amount sufficient to provide immunity from rabies.
means a certificate issued by a licensed veterinarian for presentation to the environmental health department of the city as a condition precedent to granting of a dog license.
means any person duly licensed to practice veterinary medicine by the state board of veterinary examiners.
means any individual animal that has:
means all lions, tigers, ocelots, bobcats, panthers, cougars, leopards, cheetahs, jaguars, lynxes, servals, caracals, hyenas, wolves, coyotes, jackals, bears, baboons, chimpanzees, orangutans, gorillas, skunks, raccoons, armadillos, or hybrids of these species, and any other animal typically found in a zoo, with the exception of domestic dogs, domestic cats, livestock and poultry.
(Code 1973, § 5-31; Code 1997, § 90.25; Ordinance 57-15, adopted 9/18/1957; Ordinance 81-57, adopted 7/15/1981; Ordinance 83-33, adopted 4/20/1983; Ordinance 88-3, adopted 1/5/1988; Ordinance 99-36, adopted 6/2/1999; Ordinance 99-49, adopted 8/4/1999; Ordinance 04-28, adopted 4/21/2004; Ordinance 16-13, § 1, adopted 2/3/2016; Ordinance 2022-05, § I, adopted 2/2/2022; Ordinance 2023-10, adopted 4/5/2023; Ordinance 2023-31, § 1, adopted 8/2/2023)