A. For the purposes of this section only, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them by this subsection:
1. “Animal” means all species of mammals, except humans, and all species of birds;
2. “Animal control officer” means those persons designated by the city.
B. No person having charge or custody of an animal, as owner or otherwise, shall place or confine the animal or allow the animal to be placed or confined or to remain in a motor vehicle under such conditions or for such period of time as may endanger the health or well-being of the animal due to heat, lack of food or drink, or such other circumstances as may reasonably be expected to cause suffering, disability or death.
C. No person having dominion or control over a motor vehicle, as owner or otherwise, shall place or confine an animal or allow an animal to be placed or confined or to remain in a motor vehicle under such conditions or for such period of time as may endanger the health or well-being of the animal due to heat, lack of food or drink, or such other circumstances as may reasonably be expected to cause suffering, disability or death.
D. Nothing in this section shall be deemed to prohibit the transportation of horses, cattle, sheep, poultry or other agricultural livestock in trailers or other vehicles designed and constructed for such purpose.
E. A peace officer or an animal control officer who finds an animal in a motor vehicle in violation of this section may break and enter the motor vehicle if necessary to remove the animal. The officer or agent removing the animal shall take the animal to an animal shelter or other place of safe keeping and shall, in the event the person having custody cannot be otherwise contacted, leave in a prominent place in the motor vehicle a written notice bearing his name and office and the address where the animal may be claimed by the owner thereof. The animal will be surrendered to the owner if the owner claims the animal within five days from the time the animal was removed from the motor vehicle and pays all reasonable charges that have accrued for the maintenance of the animal. If the owner fails to claim the animal within three days after its removal from the motor vehicle, the animal control officer will make reasonable effort to contact the owner and give notice that the animal is in their custody and must be reclaimed by the owner upon payment of the reasonable maintenance charges within two days. In the event the owner cannot be contacted, or expresses no interest in reclaiming the animal, the animal control officer may dispose of the animal pursuant to Section 6.12.030 of this code.
F. A person who violates any provision of this section is guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor.
(Prior code § 8-3-9)