(a) A person desiring to possess, keep, or harbor more than five dogs or cats over four months of age, in any combination, in an area zoned as business or industrial, must first obtain a permit from the City and must have any other licenses required by the Revised Code.
(b) Permits must be obtained from the City, upon application to the City License Bureau. Permit applications must be filed annually and no later than January 31 of each year. The original permit application fee shall be twenty dollars ($20.00) which may be renewed annually for an additional fee of twenty dollars ($20.00). The application must be made by the owner or keeper of the dogs or cats who must provide any information required by the City License Bureau. Upon application or renewal, the City License Bureau or designee will conduct an inspection of the permit premises at any reasonable time to ensure that all requirements contained in subsection (c) are met by each applicant before the permit may be issued. A re-inspection for non-compliance shall be assessed a twenty dollar ($20.00) fee.
(c) All owners or keepers of dogs and cats in excess of five, or any combination thereof, located within the City must meet all of the following requirements:
(1) All animals must be maintained in a healthy condition, or, if ill, must be given appropriate treatment immediately;
(2) The quarters in which the animals are kept must be maintained in a clean condition and in a good state of repair;
(3) Animal pens or enclosures must be of sufficient size in order to provide reasonable freedom of movement to the animals;
(4) Food supplies must be stored in rodent-proof containers, and food and water containers must be cleaned daily;
(5) Litter and bedding materials must be changed weekly to prevent an odor nuisance;
(6) Feces must be removed from yards, pens, and enclosures daily, and stored in tightly covered containers until final disposal;
(7) Yards, pens, premises, and animals must be kept free of insect infestation;
(8) The premises must be fenced in by adequate fencing materials to prevent the escape of the animals and prevent access by the animals, either over, under, or through the fence, to adjacent properties;
(9) The fenced-in area must contain adequate square footage to provide reasonably adequate exercise areas for the animals;
(10) The animals must be maintained so that no unreasonably loud and disturbing noises of such a character, intensity, and duration so as to disturb the peace, quite, and good order of the neighborhood is emitted from the premises.
(d) Hospitals, clinics, and other premises operated by licensed veterinarians exclusively for the care and treatment of animals is exempt from the provisions of this section.
(e) Any person who violates any provision of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of the third degree.
(Ord. 72-2017. Passed 4-3-17.)
(Ord. 72-2017. Passed 4-3-17.)