(A) (1) Running at large prohibited. It shall be unlawful for a dog or cat of any person who owns, harbors, or keeps a dog or cat, to run at large. A person, who owns, harbors, or keeps a dog or cat which runs at large shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. Dogs or cats on a leash and accompanied by a responsible person or accompanied by and under the control and direction of a responsible person, so as to be effectively restrained by command as by leash, shall be permitted on streets or on public land unless posted with signs indicating dogs or cats are prohibited.
(2) Confining dogs or cats by electronic control measures such as an invisible fence with an electronic collar is permitted which shall only be used in the rear yards of lots so that the animal cannot appear to be free to threaten or upset people who may be using the public sidewalks or streets fronting the lot. If the electronic restraint is not sufficient to confine a dog or cat to the rear yard of the property, and the animal is found to have crossed beyond the electronic barrier, then the electronic confinement shall no longer be considered adequate for that animal, and the animal must be restrained by physical means such as by leash or cable.
(B) License required for dogs and cats.
(1) All dogs and cats over the age of six months kept, harbored, or maintained in the city shall be licensed and registered with the city. For each dog or cat required to be registered and licensed, the owner must complete an application for license providing the owner's name and address and the name, breed, color, and sex of the dog or cat. No license shall be granted for a dog that has not been vaccinated against rabies, as evidenced by a certificate by a veterinarian qualified to practice in the state in which the dog is vaccinated.
(2) Upon providing a complete application, the required rabies vaccination certificate, and payment of the license fee the City Administrator shall issue to the owner a license certificate and metallic tag for each dog or cat licensed. The tag shall have stamped on it the year for which it is issued and the number corresponding with the number on the dog or cat license certificate. Every owner must provide each dog or cat with a collar to which the license tag must be affixed, and shall see that the collar and tag are constantly worn by each dog or cat. In case a tag is lost or destroyed, a duplicate tag shall be issued by the City Administrator upon payment by the owner of the duplicate tag fee. Tags are not transferable from one dog or cat to another and no refunds will be made on any license fee or tag because of the death of a dog or cat or the owners leaving the city prior to the expiration of the license period.
(3) The licensing provisions of this division (B) shall not apply to dogs or cat whose owners are nonresidents temporarily within the city, nor to dogs or cats brought into the city for the purpose of participating in any dog or cat show. Documented service dogs do not require a license.
(4) The funds received by the City Administrator from all licenses and metallic tags fees shall first be used to defray any costs incidental to the enforcement of this chapter; including, but not restricted to, the costs of licenses, metallic tags, and impounding and maintenance of dogs or cats.
(C) Dogs and cats.
(1) Number allowed per dwelling unit. It shall be unlawful for any person, or a combination of any persons who reside at a residence, to own, harbor or keep more than three dogs or three cats or more than a combination of four dogs and cats at any dwelling unit. This division (C)(1) does not apply to a fresh litter of pups or kittens which may be kept for a period of three months before that keeping shall be deemed to be a kennel.
(2) Kennels.
(a) Definition of kennel. The keeping of more than three dogs or three cats or more than a combination of four dogs and cats at a residence or dwelling unit whether owned by the same person or not and for whatever purpose, shall constitute a KENNEL, except that of a fresh litter of pups or kittens which may be kept for a period of three months before that keeping shall be deemed to be a KENNEL.
(b) Kennel as a nuisance. Because kennels may cause discomfort to persons in the area by way of smell, noise, hazard, and general aesthetic depreciation of premises they are hereby declared to be a public nuisance and no person shall keep or maintain a kennel within any residences or dwelling unit within any area of the city zoned residential.
(3) Vaccination.
(a) All dogs and cats kept harbored, maintained, or transported within the city shall be vaccinated against rabies at least once every three years as evidenced by a certificate of vaccination by a veterinarian qualified to practice in the state in which the dog or cat is vaccinated. The certificate of vaccination shall provide:
1. The date of the vaccination;
2. The owner's name and address;
3. The animal's name (if applicable), sex, description and weight;
4. The type of vaccine; and
5. The veterinarian's signature.
(b) Owners must always have a current certificate of vaccination for each dog or cat required to be vaccinated and upon demand made by the City Administrator, the Animal Control Officer or a police officer, the owner shall present for examination the required certificate of vaccination for each dog or cat. In cases where certificates are not presented, the owner or keeper of the dog or cat shall have seven days in which to present the certificate(s). It is unlawful for any person to keep or harbor a dog or cat that is either unvaccinated for rabies or has not been vaccinated for rabies within three years. It is also unlawful for any person to not present a certificate of vaccination as requested and within the time period required in this section.
(Ord. 22, Eighth Series, effective 2-27-2022) Penalty, see §
91.99