(A) It shall be unlawful for any person to import, offer for sale, keep, maintain, or harbor in the City of Canton, any wild animal, including but not limited to a monkey, or other nonhuman primate, skunk, raccoon, jaguar, leopard, lynx, tiger, lion, ocelot, bobcat, cheetah, mountain lion, panther, bear, wolf, coyote, fox or other carnivorous animal. Hybrid animals, resulting from crossing wild with domestic species, are also prohibited. Any poisonous or venomous biting or injecting species of amphibian, arachnid or reptile, including snakes, shall also be prohibited. Snakes not indigenous to this state are prohibited.
(B) It is hereby prohibited and it shall be unlawful for any person to import, offer for sale or trade, keep, maintain, or harbor in the City of Canton a native or foreign species or subspecies of mammal, bird, amphibian, or reptile, or the dead body or parts thereof, which appears on the endangered species list designated by the United States Department of the Interior or the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife.
(C) This section shall not apply to:
(1) A bona fide publicly or privately owned zoological park;
(2) A bona fide research institution using animals for scientific research;
(3) A circus duly authorized to do business in the City of Canton.
(D) (1) The keeping of an unlimited number of dogs and cats in the city for a considerable period of time detracts from and, in many instances, is detrimental to the healthful and comfortable life for which such areas were created. The keeping of an unlimited number of dogs and cats is, therefore, declared to be a public nuisance.
(2) The provisions of this section shall not apply to any establishment wherein dogs or cats are kept for breeding, sale, sporting purposes or boarding.
(a) A person commits an offense if he harbors more than two dogs, cats, or any combination of dogs and cats on the premises of a dwelling unit that shares a common wall with another dwelling unit.
(b) A person commits an offense if he harbors more than four dogs, cats, or any combination of dogs and cats on the premises of a dwelling unit that shares no common wall with another dwelling unit.
(E) Chickens.
(1) One chicken (hen) is allowed per one-eighth of acre of land up to a maximum of six. Roosters are prohibited.
(2) All chickens shall be kept in a pen, coop or enclosure located at least 30 feet from any residential dwelling, other than that of the owner. Such enclosure shall be a minimum of 25 feet from any property line.
(3) All pens, coops or enclosures shall be cleaned and disinfected with sufficient frequency to prevent any unsanitary conditions, or failing to store the waste from such animals in a fly-proof container and remove the waste from the city on a weekly basis.
(4) All coops or pens must be a minimum of at least three square feet of floor space per chicken.
(5) It is unlawful for a person to permit, suffer or allow any carrion to be used for the feed for any chickens.
(6) It is unlawful for a person to permit, suffer or allow any chicken owned, kept or possessed by him or under his control to wander in or upon or invade the premises of any other person.
(F) Livestock.
(1) It shall be unlawful for any person to keep within the city any cattle, cows, horses, sheep, swine, goats, ducks, turkeys, geese, or other livestock on any tract less than two acres in size.
(2) For tracts over two acres but less than five acres in size, in areas zoned Rural Agricultural (RA), one horse or cow may be kept per acre, for domestic (non-commercial) purposes only. In addition, a city permit may be sought to keep poultry or livestock on tracts of this size for Future Farmers of America (FFA), 4-H, or similar school-approved projects for a maximum duration of one academic school year. Notwithstanding anything else in this division, no bulls, jacks, or stallions may be kept on the property.
(3) Animals that are permitted must be kept in a clean, sanitary and healthy condition.
(4) Any stable, shed, pen or other type shelter for livestock shall be at least 50 feet from any public building or residential dwelling, other than the residence of the owner. Such structures shall be a minimum of 25 feet from any property line.
(5) If 50% or more of the property owners within 500 feet of the lots or enclosures where animals or fowl are kept and maintained complain by petition to the City Council, the presence of the animals in the areas shall be considered a nuisance and the owners of such animals or fowl shall remove them from the city limits.
(6) When such livestock is kept on unplatted and undeveloped land within the city limits which is zoned Rural Agricultural (RA) and such land exceeds five acres in size, than no maximum number of livestock is established.
(Ord. 2016-21, passed 10-18-2016; Ord. 2019-18, passed 10-15-2019)