Any person is permitted to maintain, keep or possess within the City of Lancaster, subject to the numerical limitations of §
96-26, any of the following animals which classification shall be strictly construed:
Cage birds (the term includes parakeets, parrots,
canaries, finches, lovebirds, myna birds and other birds ordinarily
keep in cages in households; it excludes wild birds captured or rescued
and kept in cages, as well as poultry)
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Cats
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Dogs
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Ferrets
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Frogs
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Gerbils
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Goldfish and carp
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Guinea pigs
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Hamsters
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Lizards
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Mice, white
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Rabbits, restricted to European type rabbits
commonly kept as pets
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Rats, white
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Salamanders (any tailed amphibian)
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Snakes, nonpoisonous
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Toads
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Tropical fish, limited to those customarily
maintained in a household aquarium, except piranhas
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Turtles
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Vietnamese pot bellied pig
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It shall be unlawful for any person to keep
any domestic animals, except household pets, except as
provided in this section:
A. The keeper of every such animal shall confine the
same in an enclosure sufficient to prevent such animal from running
at large, and such enclosure shall be of a size and construction conducive
to the animal's health, and adequate sanitary drainage facilities
shall be provided.
B. Every keeper of any animal shall cause the litter
and droppings therefrom to be collected daily in a container or receptacle
that when closed shall be ratproof and flytight and, after every such
collection, shall cause such container or receptacle to be kept closed.
At least once a week every such keeper shall cause all litter and
droppings so collected to be disposed of in such a manner as not to
permit the presence of fly larvae.
C. Every keeper of any animal shall cause all feed provided
therefor to be stored and kept in a ratproof and flytight building,
box, container or receptacle.
It shall be unlawful for any person to keep
any household pet except as provided in this section:
A. If any such pet shall be kept in a dwelling owned
or occupied by its owner, such owner shall be required to follow such
procedures and practices, as to the number of such pets to be kept
there and as to sanitation, to ensure that no public nuisance shall
be created or maintained and no threat to the health of persons living
in the dwelling or elsewhere than in such dwelling shall be created.
B. If any such pet shall be kept in an enclosure outside such dwelling, the provisions of §
96-4 of this article, insofar as the same applies to domestic animals, shall be applicable to the keeping of such household pet.
Except for species of fish, it shall be unlawful
to keep more than six animals six months of age or older on any premises,
regardless of the number of owners, unless said premises is a zoo,
petting zoo, menagerie, kennel, aviary, cattery, pet shop or veterinary
clinic which has received zoning approval to operate as such, as well
as the appropriate licenses and/or certifications required for said
operation.
[Amended 5-12-1998 by Ord. No. 4-1998]
The enforcement of the provisions of this article
will be jointly shared by the Bureau of Police and the Bureau of Housing,
Health and Sanitation as defined by "officer" in the definitions.
The officer is hereby authorized to enter upon any premises within
the City of Lancaster for the purpose of investigating possible violation
of this article.
The applicant for any permit to exceed the limitation of permitted animals contained in §
96-26 shall, at the time of his/her application, pay to the City of Lancaster a nonrefundable fee of $20 to cover the costs of processing the permit application and the issuance of the permit. Upon issuance, the permit shall be for the calendar year or part thereof and thereafter renewable for a like fee of $20 each calendar year or part thereof.
Any person who shall violate any provision of
this article shall, upon conviction thereof, be sentenced to pay a
fine of not less than $50 and not exceeding $600, plus costs, and
in default of payment, to undergo imprisonment for a term not to exceed
30 days. Each prohibited animal and each animal in excess of the maximum
limit of animals shall constitute a separate violation, and each day
that a violation of this article continues shall constitute a separate
offense.