It shall be prohibited to keep or harbor the following animals within the Village of Forest:
(a) (1) All livestock, including cows, goats, horses, sheep and lambs, swine;
(2) Fowl and poultry that are NOT egg laying hens, including all birds of prey, meat chickens over the age of ten weeks, ducks, geese, peacocks, turkeys, roosters over the age of ten weeks;
(3) All dangerous wild animals as defined by Ohio Revised Code Section 935.01(C).
(4) Any permissible animals shall be quartered no closer than twenty-five feet from an occupied dwelling and not closer than fifteen feet from the quartering property line.
(b) The provisions of this section shall not apply to a doctor of veterinary medicine licensed by the State of Ohio when it is necessary in the course of professional duty to keep and treat such animal(s). Licensed commercial pet shops, menageries, circuses and carnivals, shall be exempt from this provision if all of the following conditions are applicable:
(1) The location conforms to the provisions of the Village Planning and Zoning Code;
(2) The animals and animal quarters are kept in a clean and sanitary conditions and maintained so as to eliminate objectionable odors and/or noise;
(3) Animals are maintained in quarters constructed so as to prevent their escape;
(4) No person resides within 100 feet of the quarters in which animals are kept.
(c) The lack of knowledge of intent is not a defense to a violation of this section.
(d) Whoever violates or fails to comply with any provision of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree, punishable by up to thirty (30) days of incarceration and up to a two hundred fifty dollar ($250.00) fine, or both. A separate offense shall be deemed committed each day during which a violation or noncompliance occurs or continues. This Ordinance replaces any earlier Ordinance passed by the legislative authoirty of the village of Forest, Ohio.
(Ord. 1983. Passed 7-15-21.)