A. Unlawful Acts:
1. No person shall override, overload, drive when overloaded, overwork, torture or torment an animal, or deprive an animal of necessary sustenance.
2. No person shall unnecessarily or cruelly beat, mutilate or kill an animal unless specifically authorized by law.
3. No person shall cause, instigate, be a spectator at or permit a dogfight, cockfight, bullfight (bloodless or otherwise), or other combat involving animals.
4. No person shall abandon any animal.
5. No person shall fail to provide his animal with sufficient good and wholesome food and water, proper shelter to protect it from the weather (including sunlight), veterinary care when needed to prevent suffering, and with humane care and treatment.
6. It is unlawful to annoy, bait, harass, torment or tease any confined or chained animal.
7. Unless specifically authorized by law, no person shall wilfully maim or disfigure any domestic or wild animal, or administer poison to, or cause any animal to ingest any foreign object, or expose any poisonous substance with the intent that it shall be taken by any animal, except pests of public health concern. The provisions of this Section and any other section of this Chapter shall not in any way limit the right of a police officer or animal control officer to kill any wild or domestic animal if such officer determines that there is a reasonable danger to the public safety.
B. Remedies Authorized:
1. An animal control officer may lawfully intervene in any situation where it appears an act of cruelty is being perpetrated upon any animal.
2. A law enforcement officer or an animal control officer may remove, shelter and care for any animal found to be cruelly exposed to the weather, starved or denied adequate water, neglected, abandoned or otherwise treated in a cruel manner, and may deliver such animal to another person to be cared for and given medical attention if necessary. In all cases, the owner, if known, shall immediately be notified and the officer or person to whom the animal is delivered for care and keeping shall have a lien upon the animal for its care, keeping, medical attention and expense of notice. If the owner or custodian is unknown and cannot, within reasonable effort, be ascertained, or does not, within five (5) days after notice, redeem the animal by paying the expenses incurred, it may be treated as abandoned and dealt with as provided in Section 4-1-7, subsections 4-1-8D, 4-1-8F and 4-1-14C through F of this Chapter.
3. Whenever, in the opinion of any law enforcement officer, animal control officer or County health officer, any animal is suffering from distemper, parvovirus or other serious disease, or is severely maimed and suffering from injury, it shall be lawful for such officer to destroy such animal after consulting with a licensed veterinarian. If the animal is licensed or tattooed or has a microchip implant, an attempt to notify its owner shall be made before the animal is destroyed. The above mentioned officers or designees may destroy an animal without consulting with a licensed veterinarian or an owner if it is considered an emergency situation, to relieve the animal from undue suffering. The owner thereof shall not recover damages for the destruction of the animal unless he shall prove that destroying the animal was unwarranted. (Ord. 99-04, 11-16-1999)