(a) Any person owning, keeping or harboring a wild or exotic animal may, upon approval of the Director of Public Safety, obtain a permit to own, keep or harbor any wild or exotic animal, provided that:
(1) A completed written permit application on the form provided by the Director of Public Safety, or its substantial equivalent, is filed with the Director of Public Safety.
(2) The facilities for housing and containment of such wild or exotic animal are inspected by an agent of the City designated by the Director of Public Safety and found to be reasonably adequate to prevent such animal escaping from such housing and containment or injuring the public or public safety personnel acting in an official capacity.
(3) Such permit shall be valid for a period of twelve months from and after the date of its issuance. Such a permit may not be renewed, provided, however, that a new permit may be issued upon application and compliance with the requirements herein provided for issuance of a permit.
(b) Any person owning, keeping or harboring a wild or exotic animal may upon approval of the Director of Public Safety, obtain a temporary permit to own, keep or harbor any wild or exotic animal, provided that:
(1) Application has been made to obtain a permit as provided in subsection (a) hereof.
(2) The applicant certifies by affidavit that housing and containment of such animal escaping from such housing and containment or injuring the public or public safety personnel acting in an official capacity.
(3) Such temporary permit shall be valid for a period not more than forty-five days after the date of filing the application for a permit as provided in subsection (a) hereof.
(c) No person owning, keeping or harboring a wild or exotic animal shall be permitted to increase his stock beyond that original number for which a permit has been issued as herein provided. The owner, keeper or harborer of any such animal for which a permit has been issued, which animal is in gestation at the time of the filing of the application for such permit, shall be permitted to retain any offspring, born following such period of gestation.
(d) A non-refundable fee in the amount of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) shall be paid by the owner, keeper or harborer of such wild or exotic animal to the City at the time of making application for such permit.
(e) Upon application for a permit, the Director of Public Safety shall promptly issue to the applicant a sign to be prominently displayed on the premises, as provided in Section 503.05 hereof, where such wild or exotic animal is kept.
(Ord. 2002-114. Passed 11-6-02.)