(A) It shall be unlawful to abandon any animal.
(B) It shall be unlawful for any person to inhumanely treat any animal, including, but not limited to, the deprivation of necessities, beating, mutilating, torturing, killing, overloading, overworking, or otherwise abuse any animal. Nothing herein shall prevent Animal Control from humanely euthanizing any animal.
(C) It shall be unlawful for any person to exhibit, display or keep any animal without providing food, water, adequate shelter from the elements, adequate space, reasonable grooming, ventilation, shade from the sun, proper sanitation, care and medical attention.
(D) Any animal which is chained, tied or otherwise restrained shall be provided no less than ten feet of chain, rope, and the like with a swivel attached to prevent entanglement. Any animal restrained in such a manner that the animal's chain, rope or the like allows the animal to leave its owner's or keeper's property shall be deemed running at large.
(E) It shall be unlawful for any person to keep an animal within the passenger compartment of an automobile without adequate ventilation in the summer or adequate warmth in the winter. No person shall enclose any animal in the trunk of an automobile. An Animal Control Officer or Law Enforcement Officer shall rescue any animal confined in such a manner.
(F) It shall be unlawful for any person to stage, cause, instigate, permit, observe, or attend any dog-fight, cock-fight, bull-fight, or other combat between animals or between animals and humans.
(G) It shall be unlawful for any person to set free any hare, rabbit or other animal for the purpose of violating any provision of this chapter.
(H) No performing animal exhibition, circus or horse show shall be permitted, in which the animals are induced or encouraged to perform through the use of chemical, mechanical, electrical or manual devices in a manner which will cause or is likely to cause physical injury or suffering. All equipment used on animals in such shows shall fit properly and be in good working order.
(I) No person(s) shall expose any poisonous substance, whether mixed with food or not, so that the same shall be likely to be eaten by an animal, provided that it shall not be unlawful for a person to expose on his own property, common rat poison, mixed only with vegetable substances.
(J) Any person who, as the operator of a motor vehicle, strikes a domestic animal, shall immediately report the incident to Animal Control or any Law Enforcement Officer.
(K) No person(s) shall give away any live animal as a prize or for inducement to enter any contest, game or other competition or as an inducement to enter into any business agreement, whereby the offer was for the purpose of attracting the trade, except that it shall not be unlawful to give away small fish, not to exceed four inches, as a prize.
(L) It shall be unlawful for any person(s) to color, stain, dye or otherwise chance the natural color of any live animal or to offer such colored animals for sale in the county, except that the mane and tail of an equine may be changed pursuant to accepted practices in showing the equine.
(M) It shall be unlawful to sell baby chicks, ducks or rabbits under the age of two months in quantities less than six.
(N) It shall be unlawful for any person to crop a dog's ears or tail, except a licensed veterinarian.
(Ord. 840.5, passed 2-28-95; Am. Ord. 07-96-02, passed 7-30-96; Am. Ord. 03-13, passed 5-20-03) Penalty, see § 91.99
Statutory reference:
Cruelty and mistreatment of animals, see KRS 525.125, 525.130, and 525.135