(a) No person shall own, keep, or harbor a pit bull terrier, as defined herein, or any other type of vicious dog within the Municipal limits of the City of Girard.
(b) “Pit bull terrier”, as used herein, is hereby defined as any Staffordshire Bull Terrier or American Staffordshire Terrier breed of dog, or any mixed breed of dog which contains as an element of its breeding the breed of Staffordshire Bull Terrier or American Staffordshire Terrier as to be identifiable as partially of the breed of Staffordshire Bull Terrier or American Staffordshire Terrier by a qualified veterinarian duly licensed as such by the State of Ohio.
(c) A “vicious” dog, as the term is used in this section means:
(1) Any dog with a propensity, tendency or disposition to attack, to cause injury or to otherwise endanger the safety of human beings or other domestic animals; or
(2) Any dog which attacks a human being or another domestic animal one or more times without provocation.
(d) This section is a necessary control to eliminate the risk of attack by pit bulls, as defined herein, and other vicious dogs, on human beings in the City, which have become a threat to the health, safety and welfare of the public in all areas of the City; and the lack of knowledge or lack of intent to injure is eliminated as a defense to any violation thereof.
(e) Whoever violates the provisions of this section shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) or imprisoned no more than sixty days, or both. When any person is found guilty of a second offense of this section, such person shall be imprisoned sixty days and shall be fined one thousand dollars ($1,000), which imprisonment and fines shall be mandatory, and shall not be suspended or remitted. In addition to the foregoing penalties, any person who is found guilty of violating this section shall pay all expenses, including shelter, food, veterinary expenses for identification or specification of the breed of the animal or boarding and veterinary expenses necessitated by the seizure of any dog for the protection of the public, and such other expenses as may be required for the elimination of any such dog.
(Ord. 5916-87. Passed 7-13-87.)