A. “OWNER” - Any person, group of persons, firm, corporation, organization, or department possessing, harboring, keeping, having an interest in, having custody or control of an animal, or permitting any animal to habitually be or remain upon property for a period of three (3) days or longer.
B. “ANIMAL” - Any mammal, canine, feline, reptile, amphibian or bird, domestic or non-domestic.
C. “ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER” - Any peace officer, person, firm, agency or company hired or appointed by the City Council to assist and/or enforce this Article.
D. “ANIMAL SHELTER” - Any premises designated by the City Council for the purpose of impounding and caring for animals held by authority of this Article. It may or may not be located within the City limits.
E. “KENNEL” - Any premises where four (4) or more dogs or canines over six (6) months of age are kept boarded, bred, and/or offered for sale, or professionally boarded, groomed, and/or professionally trained.
[§4-611(E) amended by Ord. No. 11-05, effective July 21, 2011.]
F. “RESTRAINT” - An animal is under restraint for the purpose of this Article if it is restrained to the owner’s property by a fence, metallic chain or cable, or is under the supervision of a competent person by means of a leash, or is immediately obedient to voice or signal commands of said person.
G. “ANIMALS AT LARGE” - Any animal which is not effectively restrained within a fenced area or any animal which is permitted to be on any unfenced area without effectively being restrained from moving beyond such, as described in the definition of “restraint” here before defined.
H. “ATTACK” - Any unprovoked threatening or aggressive behavior of an animal which puts a person in fear of immediate bodily harm, or is directed towards another domestic animal.
I. “DANGEROUS DOG” – Any dog that has: (1) without provocation, inflicted substantial bodily harm on a human being on public or private property; (2) killed a domestic animal without provocation while off the owner’s property; or (3) been found to be potentially dangerous, and after the owner has notice that the dog is potentially dangerous, the dog aggressively bites, attacks, or endangers the safety of humans or domestic animals.
[CHAPTER 4, ARTICLE VI, § 4-611, Paragraph I (now Paragraph I), amended by Ord. No. 89-17, effective December 8, 1989, amended by Ord. No. 09-02, effective March 5, 2009.]
J. “POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS DOG” – Any dog that: (1) when unprovoked, inflicts bites on a human or a domestic animal on public or private property; (2) when unprovoked, chases or approaches a person, including a person on a bicycle, upon the streets, sidewalks, or any public property, other than the dog owner’s property, in an apparent attitude of attack; or (3) has a known propensity, tendency, or disposition to attack unprovoked, causing injury or otherwise threatening the safety of humans or domestic animals.
[CHAPTER 4, ARTICLE VI, § 4-611, Paragraph j (now Paragraph J), amended by Ord. No. 89-17, effective December 8, 1989, amended by Ord. No. 09-02, effective March 5, 2009.]
K. “POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS ANIMAL” - Any animal that: (1) when unprovoked, gores, butts, kicks, or inflicts bites on a human or domestic animal on public or private property; (2) when unprovoked, charges, chases, or approaches a person upon the streets, sidewalks, or any public property in an apparent attitude of attack; or (3) has a known propensity, tendency, or disposition to attack unprovoked, causing injury or otherwise threatening the safety of humans or domestic animals.
[§ 4-611 amended by Ord. No. 07-02, effective March 1, 200, amended by Ord. No. 11-05, effective July 21, 20117.]