(A) It shall be unlawful to abandon any animal.
(1) In the event that an animal is found abandoned, such animal may be taken by an Animal Control Officer or peace officer, and impounded at the Animal Shelter and there be confined in a humane manner. Such animal, if taken from private property shall be kept for not less than the prescribed period in accordance with the procedures set forth in § 90.15 of this chapter, or for any longer period required by law, regulation or medical necessity. In the event an animal is so abandoned, the owner or person, if any, who he or she has charged with the animal’s care, shall be subject to a citation or civil penalties for any violation of this section.
(2) Any animal found not under restraint without a license or vaccination tag, or any animal found in a condition that requires immediate veterinary care, shall be presumed to be abandoned, and shall be seized.
(3) Notice of seizure of an abandoned animal from private property shall be posted on the premises from which the animal was seized, which notice shall clearly state the address and telephone number for the Animal Shelter.
(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 abusing any animal. Nothing herein shall prevent Animal Services from humanely euthanizing any animal.
(C) It shall be unlawful for any person to exhibit, display or keep any animal without providing adequate food, adequate water, adequate shelter or medical attention.
(D) Any dog which is chained, tied or otherwise connected by means other than a leash being held by a person shall be provided no less than ten feet of chain, rope, cable or other similar material, and shall be situated in a manner that prevents injury, strangulation or entanglement. Dogs that are chained, tied or otherwise connected by means other than a leash being held by a person shall be properly fitted with and wearing non-choke, buckle-type collar or harness made of leather, nylon or similar material, and shall not be tethered by use of a choke collar, or on any collar too small for the size and age of the animal. The tether must be attached to the dog’s collar or harness and not directly to the dog’s neck, or of such unreasonable weight as to prevent the animal from moving about freely. Dogs shall be not tethered in any unsafe area, and must be at least ten feet from the edge of any public road or sidewalk. Dogs shall not be tethered during extreme weather conditions, or while the dog is sick or injured. Dogs under the age of five months may not be tethered unattended, and multiple dogs should be tethered separately.
(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 police officer shall rescue any animal confined in such a manner. No person shall use any automobile as a temporary or permanent shelter for animal(s).
(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. Animals altered for fighting purposes and animals with scarring from previous fighting may be considered evidence of unlawful animal combat.
(G) It shall be unlawful for any person(s) to own, harbor or be in possession of animal fighting paraphernalia.
(H) It shall be unlawful for any person to set free any hare, rabbit, gerbil, domesticated rat, guineas pig, other pet rodent, snake, lizard, turtle, other pet reptile or other animal for the purpose of violating any provision of this chapter.
(I) 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.
(J) Any person, who as the operator of a motor vehicle, strikes a domestic animal, shall stop at once and render assistance as may be possible and shall immediately report such injury or death to the animal’s owner, if known, or to Animal Control Officer or any police officer.
(K) No person shall expose any poisonous substance, whether mixed with food or not, so that the same shall be likely to be eaten by a domestic animal; provided that, the substance shall not be unlawful for a person to expose on his or her own property, poisonous substance, or to Animal Control or any police officer.
(L) No person 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.
(M) It shall be unlawful for any person to color, stain, dye or otherwise change 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.
(N) It shall be unlawful to sell baby chicks, ducks or rabbits under the age of two months in quantities less than six.
(O) It shall be unlawful to place an animal in the rear of a truck without securing the animal so that the animal cannot jump out.
(P) It shall be unlawful to possess more than six domestic (cats and/or dogs) or exotic animals or a combination thereof in one’s residential dwelling if that said dwelling is within 100 feet of a neighbor.
(Q) (1) It shall be unlawful to allow dogs, cats or other domestic animals to remain outdoors during extreme weather conditions.
(2) Dogs, cats or other domestic animals must be moved indoors or to an area that provides protection from the extreme weather condition.
(R) (1) It shall be unlawful for any person to use a muzzle that causes injury to a dog, interferes with its vision, respiration or ability to drink.
(2) It shall be unlawful to muzzle any dog unless doing so is reasonably calculated to prevent injury to people or animals.
(Ord. 3-1-20, passed 5-6-2020) Penalty, see § 90.99