It shall be unlawful in the county for any animal owner or other keeper of an animal to:
(1) Allow his animal to run at large off property owned, rented or controlled by him;
(2) Keep a dangerous or vicious animal, unless it is in the proper enclosure for keeping dangerous or vicious animals, and properly licensed and registered with the County Animal Control Division;
(3) Release or take an animal out of impoundment without proper authority;
(4) Resist animal shelter personnel engaging in the capture and impoundment of an animal;
(5) Remove the rabies tag from the dog or cat for which the tag was issued;
(6) Possess or use apparatus or training equipment to train or condition animals to be aggressive, or to use animals to train other animals to be aggressive;
(7) Sponsor or participate in animal fighting or baiting, or to be present at a facility where animal fighting or baiting is taking place;
(8) Keep an animal so confined as to be forced to stand, sit or lie in its own excrement;
(9) Fail to provide an animal with an exercise area that is a minimum of 24 square feet in area;
(10) (a) Tether a dog or dogs except when:
1. Tethered pursuant to requirements of park, camping or recreational areas; or
2. Tethered while engaged in lawful hunting activities; or
3. Tethered to a running line, pulley or trolley system elevated no higher than 7 feet off the ground, in a manner that allows the tether to move freely along the length of the running line which must be at least 20 feet in length between the 2 stop points.
(b) The tether must be connected to the dog by a buckle-type collar or body harness made of nylon, leather or other durable and non-metallic material and must be properly fitted so as to not cause injury to the dog or embed in the dog's neck. Only one dog may be attached to each running line, pulley or trolley system so as to prevent injury, strangulation or entanglement. Dogs under 3 months of age shall not be connected to a tether or trolley system.
(11) Contain a female domestic animal in heat in such a fashion that stray animals have access to her, or that permits her to escape;
(12) (a) Allow domestic animal feces to accumulate on any property owned, occupied or controlled by such person, if such accumulation creates an unsanitary, offensive or unhealthy condition. This provision shall not apply to horses, cattle, sheep and goats and other grazing animals confined in pastures.
(b) Fail to remove fecal matter deposited by an animal under his or her ownership or control on public or private property of another before leaving the immediate area where the fecal matter was deposited.
(c) Fail to have in his or her immediate possession an appropriately sized bag to be used for removal of the animal feces when accompanying an animal on public property or private property of another.
(d) Deposit animal feces in sewers or drains, whether storm or sanitary. Animal feces must be bagged and placed in a proper garbage receptacle established for public use or belonging to the owner of the animal.
(e) Exceptions. Section 4-18(12) shall not apply to a guide, hearing, or service dog or other dog that has been trained to accompany a person with a disability while being accompanied by a disabled person or to any dog or horse in the custody or control of a Law Enforcement Officer during the performance of official duties. The provisions of § 4-18(12) shall not apply in the unzoned areas of the county.
(f) Penalty. A violation of § 4-18(12) is subject to a fine of not less than $75 and not exceeding $500. Each violation is a separate offense.
(1976 Code, § 4-17) (Ord. 731, § 8; Ord. 2130, § 2(a), passed 6-5-1990; Ord. 4099, § 3, passed 4-3-2007; Ord. 4717, § 2, passed 6-16-2015; Ord. 5022, § 1, passed 10-2-2018)