(A) Dog or cat at large. It shall be unlawful for an owner or person having custody or control of any animal to run at large.
(B) To allow such animal to repeatedly run at large, whether wearing a collar and tag or not, throughout the town constitutes a public nuisance. Any and all animals found running at large, whether wearing a collar and tag or not shall be immediately impounded by officers of the animal management or any police officer. The officers may pursue the animal onto private property to effect capture of such animal.
(C) Enclosure of animal in heat. All owners or persons having custody or control shall confine within a completely enclosed building or secure enclosure with no means of escape any dog, cat or other animal when in heat or rutting.
(D) It shall be the duty of every owner or custodian of any animal to exercise reasonable care and take all necessary steps and precautions to restrain their animal so as to protect other people, property, and animals from injuries or damage which might result from the animal’s behavior. If the owner or custodian of any animal is a minor, the parent or guardian of such minor shall be jointly responsible for the minor’s violation of this chapter.
(E) It shall be the duty of every owner or custodian of any animal to ensure that the animal is kept under restraint and that reasonable care and precautions are taken to prevent the animal from leaving the real property limits of its owner, possessor, or custodian, and ensure that the animal is:
(1) Securely and humanely enclosed within a house, building, fence, pen or other enclosure out of which it cannot climb, dig, jump, or otherwise escape on its own volition; and that such enclosure is securely locked at all times or anytime the animal is left unattended;
(2) Securely and humanely restrained by chain or tether not weighing more than 1/8 of the pet’s body. The chain or tether shall be at least ten feet in length and have swivels on both ends, so as to reduce the likelihood of entanglement. Any chain or tether must be attached to a properly fitting buckle-type collar or harness worn by the animal, and may not be wrapped around an animal’s neck; and
(3) No pet shall be tethered more than 12 hours in a 24 consecutive hour period. Dogs under the age of six months shall not be tethered for more than one hour and shall be under the direct supervision of the owner or person having custody at all times while being on a tether.
(F) Possession of a vicious animal. It is a violation of this chapter for anyone to own, posses, harbor, maintain or have custody or control over a vicious animal as defined in this chapter at any location within the town, other than the animal management facility for observation of animal suspected of suffering from rabies. If any violation of this chapter occurs, animal management has the authority to confiscate the animal where ever it may be found.
(G) Possession of dangerous animals. The following precautions shall be taken by owners, possessors or custodians of dangerous animals:
(1) In addition to the requirements in division (D) of this section, the owner of a dangerous animal who maintains the animal out of doors shall fence a portion of the property with a second perimeter or area fence. Within this perimeter or area fence, the dangerous animal must be humanely confined inside a pen or kennel of adequate size which at a minimum shall be ten feet long, ten feet wide and six feet high. The pen or kennel may not share common fencing with the area perimeter fence. The kennel or pen must have secure sides and a secure top attached to all sides. The sides must either be buried two feet into the ground, sunken into a concrete pad, or securely attached to a wire bottom. The gate to the kennel or pen shall be of the inward-opening type and shall be kept locked at all times except when tending to the animals needs such as cleaning the kennel or providing food and water.
(2) Whenever the animal is outside of its enclosure as provided for in this division, but on the owner’s property, it must be attended by the owner and restrained by a secure collar and leash of sufficient strength to prevent escape. The leash shall be no longer than ten feet, and the animal must be kept at least 15 feet within the perimeter boundaries of the property unless the perimeter boundary is securely fenced.
(3) No dangerous animal shall be chained, tethered, or otherwise tied to any inanimate object such as a tree, post, or building, outside of its own enclosure as provided for in this division.
(4) One “beware of dog” sign shall be conspicuously displayed on each exterior side of the enclosure for each 50 linear feet of enclosure, with a minimum of two such signs on each side, as well as a sign on each ingress or egress point of enclosure. The signs shall be a minimum of ten inches high and 14 inches long.
(H) The owner or custodian of any guard dog must confine such dog within a perimeter fence and meet the following conditions: the fence shall be sufficient to prevent the dog’s escape, with all points of ingress and egress securely locked at all times.
(I) Annoyance or disturbance created by animal. It shall be unlawful for any person to keep or harbor within the town an animal that creates a nuisance, or which by loud, frequent or habitual barking, howling or yelping causes annoyance or disturbance to the area within which the barking, howling or yelping may be heard.
(J) Choke collars and pinch collars are prohibited for the purpose of tethering an animal to a stationary object.
Penalty, see § 90.99