[Adopted 7-21-1982 by Ord. No. 1536]
This article shall be known and may be cited
as the "Ridley Township Animal Control Ordinance."
As used in this article, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
Any animal kept by a person or persons for pleasure or utility.
Includes any person having the right of proprietorship or
ownership or any person keeping or harboring one or more animals.
An animal shall be deemed to be harbored if it is fed, sheltered or
permitted to remain on or about any premises occupied by the "owner."[1]
A dog or canine that constitutes a physical threat to persons
or other animals as more specifically defined in the Pennsylvania
State Dog Law.[2]
The Ridley Township Animal Control Officer shall
be the person dedicated as the law enforcement officer of this article.
The Animal Control Officer shall be under the supervision of the Ridley
Township Health Department and the Ridley Township Police Department.
It shall be unlawful for any person or persons to interfere with the
Animal Control Officer in the lawful performance of his duties.
A.
It shall be unlawful for the owners of canines to
permit their canines to run at large, to molest persons or vehicles
or to attack other animals.
B.
A canine which is neither tied nor secured within
an enclosure will be deemed to be running at large despite its uninterrupted
presence on the owner's premises. A lead or leash used to secure a
canine on its owner's premises is inadequate and unlawful if the leashed
canine can reach the public street or sidewalk or neighboring property.
C.
Any canine off the owner's premises shall be secured
on a leash not exceeding six feet in length which shall be of sufficient
strength to restrain the canine. Furthermore, said leash shall be
controlled by a person of sufficient strength and maturity to be capable
of controlling the canine under the foreseeable circumstances.
D.
In general the owner of a canine shall exercise proper
and necessary care and control over said canine at all times to prevent
it from becoming a public nuisance.
It shall be unlawful for the owner of any canine
to permit said canine to injure any person by biting, jumping on,
knocking down or otherwise attacking a person.
It shall be unlawful for the owner of any canine
to permit said canine to cause a nuisance to the citizens or residents
of the Township of Ridley by barking, yelping, howling or causing
any other unseemly or loud noise for an extended period of time, whether
confined inside or to an outside area.
Every female animal in heat shall be confined
in a building or secured area so the animal cannot escape and cause
a nuisance.
A.
Canines or other animals running at large without
identification shall be taken by police, Animal Control Officer or
other designated officials to the Delaware County Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for confinement until disposition,
for a period of not less than three days.
[Amended 3-20-1985 by Ord. No. 1583]
B.
Animals or canines running at large with proper identification
shall be taken by police, Animal Control Officer or other designated
officials and returned to the owner. If the owner cannot be located
or contacted, the canine or other animal shall be transported to the
Delaware County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for
confinement until the owner can be notified, or for a period not to
be less than three days.
[Amended 3-20-1985 by Ord. No. 1583]
C.
No animal or canine shall be returned to the owner
once confined until the owner pays to the Township of Ridley a recovery
fee in the sum as set by statute and an amount equal to the cost of
the maintenance, care and medical services supplied to the animal
while in the custody of the Township, including the charges imposed
by the Delaware County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
[Amended 10-25-2000 by Ord. No. 1808]
Notice of any violation of this article in the
form of a citation shall be issued by the Animal Control Officer,
Health Officer, police officer or any other person authorized to enforce
ordinances.
It shall be unlawful for the owner of any animal
to permit such animal to damage or cause injury to the personal property,
real estate, shrubs, hedges, flowers or other growing things of another,
to run across or on the property of another, to urinate or defecate
on the property of another or to otherwise defile the property of
another.
It shall be unlawful for the owner of an animal
to permit said animal to defecate upon any sidewalk or upon the floors
or stairways of any building used or frequented by the public or used
in common with other tenants.
It shall be the duty of the owner of an animal
to pick up and remove all excrement from said animal from the public
property and private property of another. Excrement must not be deposited
in the street or curbside but must be removed from the area completely.
Furthermore, the owner of every animal will be responsible for the
cleanup of all animal excrement from his own property on a daily basis.
[Amended 11-16-1988 by Ord. No. 1639]
A.
Any person, firm or corporation violating § 77-3 of this article by interfering with the Animal Control Officer in the lawful performance of his duties shall, upon summary conviction before any District Justice, pay a fine not exceeding $1,000, and the cost of prosecution, and in default of payment of the fine and cost, the violator may be sentenced to the county jail for a term of not more than 30 days.
B.
Any person, firm or corporation violating any other
provision of this article shall be guilty of a summary offense and,
upon conviction thereof, shall be sentenced to pay a fine not exceeding
$1,000 and the cost of prosecution, and in default of payment of the
fine and cost, the violator may be sentenced to the county jail for
a term of not more than 30 days.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former §§ 33-7.7
through 33-7.11, regarding pit bulls, as added 7-15-1987 by Ord. No.
1615, which followed this section, were repealed 5-27-1998 by Ord.
No. 1784.
