(a) Prohibition. No person shall own, keep or harbor any member of the large cat family known as Felidae, including, but not limited to, lions, tigers, cougars, leopards and panthers.
(b) Exceptions; Liability Insurance. Subsection (a) hereof does not apply to any circus, carnival, zoo or other event for entertainment, which is authorized by law by the proper City official, provided that proper bond or Insurance is posted to indemnity those who may be injured or killed as a result of the keeping of such cats. The type and amount of such bond shall be determined by the Law Director.
(c) Notice to Correct Violation; Impoundment or Destruction by City:
(1) Upon the complaint of any person of the keeping or harboring of a large cat in the City, in violation of subsection (a) hereof, the
City Manager/Safety Director
shall forthwith cause the matter to be investigated. If, after such investigation, the facts indicate that the person named in the complaint is in fact the owner of, or is keeping or harboring a large cat in the City, in violation of subsection (a) hereof, the Director shall immediately send a written notice to such person to safely remove such cat from the City within five days of the delivery of such notice. No person shall fail to comply with such notice within such period of time.
(2) Such notice shall not be required if the large cat has previously caused physical harm or death to any person or has escaped and is at large, in which case the Director shall cause such cat to be immediately seized and impounded. If seizure and impoundment are not possible without risk of serious harm or death to the responsible person, the cat may be destroyed.
(d) Penalty. Whoever violates any of the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree for the first offense and a misdemeanor of the third degree for each subsequent offense. A separate offense shall be deemed committed each day during or on which the violator fails to abide by the notice provided for in subsection (c) hereof. Punishment shall be as provided in Section 698.02
.
(Ord. 43-83. Passed 5-9-83.)