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   505.02 IMPOUNDING AND DISPOSITION; RECORDS.
   (a)   A police officer or animal warden may impound every animal or dog found in violation of Section 505.01. If the dog is not wearing a valid registration tag and the owner is not otherwise reasonably determined, notice shall be posted in the pound or animal shelter both describing the dog and place where seized and advising the unknown owner that unless the dog is redeemed within three days, it may thereafter be sold or destroyed according to law. If the dog is wearing a valid registration tag or the identity of the owner, keeper or harborer is otherwise reasonably determined, notice shall be given by certified mail to such owner, keeper or harborer that the dog has been impounded and unless redeemed within fourteen days of the date of notice, it may thereafter be sold or destroyed according to law. Any dog seized and impounded may be redeemed by its owner, keeper or harborer at any time prior to the applicable redemption period upon payment of all lawful costs and housing charges assessed against the animal and upon providing the dog with a valid registration tag if it has none.
   (b)   A record of all dogs impounded, the disposition of the same, the owner's name and address where known, and a statement of any costs and housing charges assessed against the dog shall be kept by any poundkeeper.
   (c)    The payment of charges for redeeming an animal from the animal shelter shall not be construed to exempt the owner of such animal from prosecution.
   (d)    The charges for services provided by the animal shelter shall be as follows:
Service
Charge
(1)
Disposal of animal brought to animal shelter
$ 5.00
(2)
Disposal of animal picked up on owner's request
  10.00
(3)
Acceptance of nonresident animals
   5.00
(4)
Sale of animal:
To institutions listed under Ohio R.C. 955.16
   3.00
All other sales   
   4.00
(5)
Seizing animal and delivering to animal shelter
  10.00
(6)
Housing and feeding animal per day
    2.00
         (Ord. 34-96. Passed 7-1-96.)
   505.03 ANNUAL REGISTRATION OF DOGS; TAGS REQUIRED.
   (a)   Except for guide dogs registered under Ohio R.C. 955.011 and dogs kept by an institution or organization for teaching and research purposes under Ohio R.C. 955.16, no person shall own, keep or harbor a dog more than three months of age without annually registering such dog with the County Auditor. Failure of any dog at any time to wear a valid registration tag shall be prima-facie evidence of lack of registration and subject such dog to impounding and disposition as provided by Ohio R.C. 955.16.
   (b)   Whoever violates this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor for a first offense and a misdemeanor of the fourth degree for each subsequent offense.
(ORC 955.99(D)).
   505.04 ABANDONING ANIMALS.
   (a)   No owner or keeper of a dog, cat or other domestic animal shall abandon such animal. (ORC 959.01)
   (b)   Whoever violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree on a first offense and a misdemeanor of the first degree on each subsequent offense.
(ORC 959.99)
   505.05 KILLING OR INJURING ANIMALS.
   (a)   No person shall maliciously, or willfully, and without the consent of the owner, kill or injure a farm animal, dog, cat or other domestic animal that is the property of another. This section does not apply to a licensed veterinarian acting in an official capacity, or to trespassing animals as set forth in Ohio R.C. 959.04.
(ORC 959.02)
   (b)   Except as otherwise provided herein, whoever violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree. If the value of the animal killed or the injury done amounts to three hundred dollars ($300.00) or more, such person is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree.
(ORC 959.99(B); Ord. 34-96. Passed 7-1-96.)
   505.06 POISONING ANIMALS.
   (a)   No person shall maliciously, or willfully and without the consent of the owner, administer poison, except a licensed veterinarian acting in such capacity, to a farm animal, dog, cat, poultry or other domestic animal that is the property of another; and no person shall, willfully and without the consent of the owner, place any poisoned food where it may be easily found and eaten by any of such animals, either upon his own lands or the lands of another. This section does not apply to trespassing animals as set forth in Ohio R.C. 959.04.
(ORC 959.03)
   (b)   Whoever violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree.
(ORC 959.99(C); Ord. 34-96. Passed 7-1-96.)
   505.07 CRUELTY TO ANIMALS GENERALLY.
   (a)   No person shall:
      (1)   Torture an animal, deprive one of necessary sustenance, unnecessarily or cruelly beat, needlessly mutilate or kill, or impound or confine an animal without supplying it during such confinement with a sufficient quantity of good wholesome food and water;
      (2)   Impound or confine an animal without affording it, during such confinement, access to shelter from wind, rain, snow or excessive direct sunlight if it can reasonably be expected that the animal would otherwise become sick or in some other way suffer. This subsection (a)(2) does not apply to animals impounded or confined prior to slaughter. For the purpose of this section, "shelter" means a man-made enclosure, windbreak, sunshade or natural windbreak or sunshade that is developed from the earth's contour, tree development or vegetation;
      (3)   Carry or convey an animal in a cruel or inhuman manner;
      (4)   Keep animals other than cattle, poultry or fowl, swine, sheep or goats in an enclosure without wholesome exercise and change of air, nor feed cows on food that produces impure or unwholesome milk;
      (5)   Detain livestock in railroad cars or compartments longer than twenty-eight hours after they are so placed without supplying them with necessary food, water and attention, nor permit such livestock to be so crowded as to overlie, crush, wound or kill each other.
   (b)    Upon the written request of the owner or person in custody of any particular shipment of livestock, which written request shall be separate and apart from any printed bill of lading or other railroad form, the length of time in which such livestock may be detained in any cars or compartments without food, water and attention, may be extended to thirty-six hours without penalty therefor. This section does not prevent the dehorning of cattle.
(ORC 959.13)
   (c)    Whoever violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree. In addition, the court may order the offender to forfeit the animal or livestock and may provide for its disposition including, but not limited to, the sale of the animal or livestock. If an animal or livestock is forfeited and sold pursuant to this subsection, the proceeds from the sale first shall be applied to pay the expenses incurred with regard to the care of the animal from the time it was taken from the custody of the former owner. The balance of the proceeds from the sale, if any, shall be paid to the former owner of the animal.
(ORC 959.99(D); Ord. 34-96. Passed 7-1-96.)
   505.071 CRUELTY TO COMPANION ANIMALS.
   (a)   As used in this section:
      (1)   “Companion animal” means any animal that is kept inside a residential dwelling and any dog or cat regardless of where it is kept, including a pet store as defined in Ohio R.C. 956.01. “Companion animal” does not include livestock or any wild animal.
      (2)   “Cruelty”, “torment” and “torture” have the same meanings as in Ohio R.C. 1717.01.
      (3)   “Residential dwelling” means a structure or shelter or the portion of a structure or shelter that is used by one or more humans for the purpose of a habitation.
      (4)   “Practice of veterinary medicine” has the same meaning as in Ohio R.C. 4741.01.
      (5)   “Wild animal” has the same meaning as in Ohio R.C. 1531.01.
      (6)   “Federal animal welfare act” means the “Laboratory Animal Act of 1966", Pub. L. No. 89-544, 80 Stat. 350 (1966), 7 U.S.C.A. 2131 et seq., as amended by the “Animal Welfare Act of 1970", Pub. L. No. 91-579, 84 Stat. 1560 (1970), the “Animal Welfare Act Amendments of 1976", Pub. L. No. 94-279, 90 Stat. 417 (1976), and the “Food Security Act of 1985", Pub. L. No. 99-198, 99 Stat. 1354 (1985), and as it may be subsequently amended.
      (7)   “Dog kennel” means an animal rescue for dogs that is registered under Ohio R.C. 956.06, a boarding kennel or a training kennel.
   (b)   No person shall knowingly torture, torment, needlessly mutilate or maim, cruelly beat, poison, needlessly kill, or commit an act of cruelty against a companion animal.
   (c)   No person who confines or who is the custodian or caretaker of a companion animal shall negligently do any of the following:
      (1)   Torture, torment or commit an act or cruelty against the companion animal;
      (2)   Deprive the companion animal of necessary sustenance, or confine the companion animal without supplying it during the confinement with sufficient quantities of good, wholesome food and water, if it can reasonably be expected that the companion animal would become sick or suffer in any other way as a result of or due to the deprivation or confinement;
      (3)   Impound or confine the companion animal without affording it, during the impoundment or confinement, with access to shelter from heat, cold, wind, rain, snow, or excessive direct sunlight if it can reasonably be expected that the companion animal would become sick or suffer in any other way as a result of or due to the lack of adequate shelter.
   (d)   No owner, manager or employee of a dog kennel who confines or is the custodian or caretaker of a companion animal shall negligently do any of the following:
      (1)   Torture, torment, or commit an act of cruelty against the companion animal;
      (2)   Deprive the companion animal of necessary sustenance, or confine the companion animal without supplying it during the confinement with sufficient quantities of good, wholesome food and water, if it can reasonably be expected that the companion animal would become sick or suffer in any other way as a result of or due to the deprivation or confinement;
      (3)   Impound or confine the companion animal without affording it, during the impoundment or confinement, with access to shelter from heat, cold, wind, rain, snow or excessive direct sunlight if it can reasonably be expected that the companion animal would become sick or suffer in any other way as a result of or due to the lack of adequate shelter.
   (e)   Subsections (b), (c) and (d) of this section do not apply to any of the following:
      (1)   A companion animal used in scientific research conducted by an institution in accordance with the federal animal welfare act and related regulations;
      (2)   The lawful practice of veterinary medicine by a person who has been issued a license, temporary permit, or registration certificate to do so under Ohio R.C. Chapter 4741;
      (3)   Dogs being used or intended for use for hunting or field trial purposes, provided that the dogs are being treated in accordance with usual and commonly accepted practices for the care of hunting dogs;
      (4)   The use of common training devices, if the companion animal is being treated in accordance with usual and commonly accepted practices for the training of animals;
      (5)   The administering of medicine to a companion animal that was properly prescribed by a person who has been issued a license, temporary permit, or registration certificate under Ohio R.C. Chapter 4741.
   (f)   Notwithstanding any section of the Ohio Revised Code that otherwise provides for the distribution of fine moneys, the Clerk of Court shall forward all fines the Clerk collects that are so imposed for any violation of this section to the Treasurer of the municipality, whose county humane society or law enforcement agency is to be paid the fine money as determined under this section. The Treasurer shall pay the fine moneys to the county humane society or the county, township, municipal corporation, or state law enforcement agency in this state that primarily was responsible for or involved in the investigation and prosecution of the violation. If a county humane society receives any fine moneys under this section, the county humane society shall use the fine moneys either to provide the training that is required for humane society agents under Ohio R.C. 1717.061 or to provide additional training for humane society agents.
(ORC 959.131)
   (g)   (1)   Whoever violates subsection (b) hereof is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree on a first offense. On each subsequent offense such person is guilty of a felony and shall be prosecuted under appropriate State law.
      (2)   Whoever violates subsection (c) hereof is guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree on a first offense and a misdemeanor of the first degree on each subsequent offense.
      (3)   Whoever violates subsection (d) hereof is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree.
      (4)   A.   A court may order a person who is convicted of or pleads guilty to a violation of this section to forfeit to an impounding agency, as defined in Ohio R.C. 959.132, any or all of the companion animals in that person’s ownership or care. The court also may prohibit or place limitations on the person’s ability to own or care for any companion animals for a specified or indefinite period of time.
         B.   A court may order a person who is convicted of or pleads guilty to a violation of this section to reimburse an impounding agency for the reasonably necessary costs incurred by the agency for the care of a companion animal that the agency impounded as a result of the investigation or prosecution of the violation, provided that the costs were not otherwise paid under Ohio R.C. 959.132.
      (5)   If a court has reason to believe that a person who is convicted of or pleads guilty to a violation of this section suffers from a mental or emotional disorder that contributed to the violation, the court may impose as a community control sanction or as a condition of probation a requirement that the offender undergo psychological evaluation or counseling. The court shall order the offender to pay the costs of the evaluation or counseling.
(ORC 959.99)
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