§ 6-118  DOGS; PHYSICAL ABUSE; TREATMENT; BASIC NEEDS.
   (A)   It shall be unlawful for any person to willfully or maliciously kill, maim, disfigure torture, beat with a stick, chain, club or other object; mutilate, burn, or scald with any substance, or otherwise cruelly set upon any animal, except that reasonable force may be employed to drive off vicious, trespassing or aggressive animals. It shall further be unlawful for any person to knowingly, intentionally, or carelessly cause or allow any animal to endure reasonable or unjustifiable pain, suffering, or injury. It shall be unlawful for any person or entity keeping, harboring, or caring for any animal to fail, refuse or neglect to provide such animal with proper food, drink, shade, shelter, physical maintenance and veterinary care. Proper food, drink, shade, shelter, physical maintenance and veterinary care shall require that:
      (1)   Each animal shall, at suitable intervals and at least once every 24 hours, receive a quantity of food suitable for the species' physical condition and age, sufficient to maintain an adequate level of nutrition for the animal.
      (2)   Each animal shall have available at all times an adequate supply of clean, fresh, potable water. If water pans or dishes are to be used, such pans or dishes shall have weighted bottoms or be mounted or secured in a manner that prevents tipping.
      (3)   Each animal shall have convenient access to shelter throughout the year. Any fences and or shelter shall not be placed in the front yard of the property and any shelter shall be structurally sound and maintained in good repair to protect the animal from injury and from the elements. The entrance to the shelter should have a flap to keep the cold out and the warmth in. Straw, wood chips, towels and blankets can be used for bedding. Bedding should be routinely checked for moisture and replace it when wet. It shall be of sufficient size to permit the animal to enter, stand, turn around, and lie down in a natural manner. Any shelter which does not protect the animal from temperature extremes or precipitation, excessive ammonia levels, or which does not provide adequate ventilation or drainage, shall not comply with this section. The shelter and any space accessible to the animal and all bedding for the animal shall be maintained in a manner which keeps the animal reasonably clean, dry, comfortable, and at an appropriate temperature and minimizes the risk of the animal contracting disease, being injured or becoming infested with parasites.
      (4)   Each animal shall receive care and medical treatment for injuries, parasites, and diseases, sufficient to maintain the animal in good health and to minimize suffering.
      (5)   Any enclosure in which an animal is kept shall be constructed of material, and in a manner to minimize the risk of injury to the animal, and shall encompass sufficient usable space to keep the animal in good condition. When a dog is confined outside a residence, the following minimum space requirements shall be used:
         Size of Dog                                  Pen Size
Extra large (over 26 inches at withers or over 75 pounds)                     48 square feet
Large (over 20 inches and up to 26 inches at withers or
not over 75 pounds)                                       40 square feet
Medium (over 12 inches and up to 20 inches at withers or
not over 50 pounds)                                       32 square feet
Small (12 inches or less at withers or not over 20 pounds)                     24 square feet
An additional 16 square feet shall be required for each dog sharing the pen with another. The minimum pen size includes a shelter. The pen height shall not be over six feet tall.
(Ord. 2297, passed 1-20-2009)