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It shall be unlawful for anyone to own, harbor or permit at large any wild or exotic animal without the express written authorization of the city council. Such authorization may be given only if it is demonstrated to the satisfaction of the city council that the animal will not constitute a threat to public health or safety. The city council may conduct a public hearing to obtain the opinions of adjoining residents and property owners when considering such requests. The city council may charge an applicant for such authorization an appropriate fee to recover the authorization processing costs incurred by the city. Public educational institutions shall be exempt from the foregoing authorization requirement. (Ord. 197, 1-8-2013)
A. Permitted Domestic Animals; Limitations: It shall be unlawful for any household to own, harbor or possess more domestic animals than authorized by this section or not in accordance with limitations and licensing requirements established by this chapter. The following domestic animals are allowed:
1. Dogs and cats, not exceeding the number limitations as set forth in subsection B of this section.
2. Rabbit, guinea pig, hamster, gerbil, frog, ferret, mouse, rat, snake or bird (except fowl, pigeons, chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys) kept for the sole purpose of an indoor family pet or for educational purposes at an educational institution. It shall be the duty of all persons owning or harboring such animals to keep and maintain such animals in a clean and sanitary condition.
3. a. Cattle, horses, goats and sheep, may be kept on premises containing a minimum of one acre of securely fenced, irrigated open space, exclusive of a homesite, and containing at least three (3) acres in total, maintained in compliance with this chapter. Said fenced area shall be irrigated during the growing season to sustain vegetation. The number of listed animals allowed per buildable lot securely fenced and irrigated shall be as follows:
Cattle - 2, or
Horses or ponies - 2, or
Goats and/or sheep - 4, or
Rabbits, chickens (except for roosters) and ducks may be kept on premises containing a minimum of a securely fenced, irrigated open space, exclusive of a homesite, and maintained in compliance with this chapter. Said fenced area shall be irrigated during the growing season to sustain vegetation. The number of listed animals allowed per buildable lot securely fenced and irrigated shall be as follows:
Rabbits - 10, or
Chickens - 10, or
Ducks - 10.
Any combination of these animals shall be limited to a maximum of ten (10) animals, but shall not exceed the maximum allowed for each category of animal.
Roosters, guinea hens, geese and peacocks are prohibited.
In addition to the above requirements, an enclosure that meets the following requirements must be provided for keeping fowl:
The enclosure (coop) must meet the zoning setbacks in effect at the time of the construction of the enclosure;
The size of the enclosure shall be a minimum of five (5) square feet per fowl; and
The entire enclosure must be surrounded by a fence, with a minimum of ten (10) square feet of fenced open space around the enclosure for each fowl.
b. Owners of property less than the minimum premises size, on which animals were kept at the time of passage date hereof, may continue keeping those animals or replacement animals, so long as the owner of the property registers with the city the number of animals kept at the time of passage date hereof and keeps the premises free from nuisance to the neighboring property owners or the public.
(1) The owner shall register with the city, within ninety (90) days of passage date hereof, a list of the kind and number of animals kept on the property at the time of the passage date hereof.
(2) If the city determines that the keeping of the animals is a nuisance, the city shall give to the owner of the property thirty (30) days' written notice to cure the nuisance. If the property owner does not cure the nuisance within the thirty (30) days, the property owner shall be required to bring the property into compliance with the limitations of subsection A3a of this section.
(3) It shall be the duty of all persons owning or harboring such animals to keep them in secure confinement to prevent them from roaming onto adjacent lands and to maintain such animals and the grounds upon, and facilities within, which they are housed, in a clean and sanitary condition.
B. Number Permitted: It shall be unlawful for any household in a multi-family dwelling housing unit to keep more than three (3) permitted animals as defined by subsections A1 and A2 of this section. Each household in a detached single-family dwelling shall keep no more than three (3) animals permitted pursuant to subsections A1 and A2 of this section, except that a litter of pups, kittens or other young animals may be kept for a period of time not exceeding five (5) months from birth. The restrictions of this subsection shall not apply to any commercial establishment where such animals are legally kept for breeding, sale, sporting purposes or boarding.
C. Kennels: Kennels shall be permitted only when allowed by the zoning ordinance of the city and shall comply with all applicable zoning restrictions and the requirements of section 5-1-14 of this chapter. (Ord. 197, 1-8-2013)
A. License Required: No person shall own, keep or harbor any dog over the age of six (6) months within the city unless such dog is licensed as provided in this section.
B. Application: Application for such license shall be made by the owner at city hall, or such other place designated by the city, on a form to be provided by the city within ten (10) days after acquiring any dog over six (6) months of age or within ten (10) days after a dog becomes six (6) months of age; provided, that any owner moving to the city for the purposes of establishing residence or becoming a resident as a result of any annexation, and otherwise required to obtain a license, shall have until thirty (30) days after establishing residence to obtain such license.
C. Proof Of Rabies Vaccination Required: All owners applying for a license must show to the satisfaction of the licensing authority that the animal for which the license is being obtained has been inoculated against rabies within the last two (2) years.
D. Proof Of Sterilization: Any owner claiming that his dog has been spayed or neutered must show to the satisfaction of the licensing authority that the operation has been performed.
E. Payment Of License Fee: A license fee shall be paid to the city, or an entity designated by the city to license dogs on behalf of the city, at the time of making application. The license fee for dogs shall be established by the city council by resolution. Such fee may be different depending upon the altered status or other relevant characteristics of the animal.
F. License Tag: Upon payment and acceptance of the license fee, a durable license tag, stamped with an identification number for the animal for which the license has been obtained, will be issued. Any license issued for the keeping of a dog shall take effect on the date of issuance and shall be valid for the period of time paid for and shown on the receipt issued by the licensing authority. Every dog for which the owner is required to obtain a license must wear a valid license tag at all times when the animal is off the premises of its owner.
G. Use Of Tags; Unlawful Removal: No person may use a license for any animal other than the animal for which the license was issued. It shall be unlawful for any person to remove from the neck of any dog the license tag issued pursuant to this section or to alter such tag in any manner.
H. Revocation Of License: Any dog license issued in reliance of false or inaccurate information may be revoked. Anyone who knowingly submits false information to obtain a license or to obtain a license without paying the appropriate fee shall be deemed to have violated this chapter and shall be subject to all potential penalties therefor.
I. Exemption From License Fee: License fees shall not be required for seeing eye dogs, dogs prescribed by a doctor for medical reasons, government police dogs or dogs belonging to a nonresident of the city (which are licensed elsewhere) and kept within the boundaries of the city for not longer than thirty (30) days; provided, that all dogs not subject to payment of the license fee shall at the time of entry into the city be properly vaccinated against rabies, and while kept within the city, meet all other requirements of this chapter. Any owner claiming any of these exemptions has the burden of proving to the satisfaction of the licensing authority that the dog in question is entitled to such exemption.
J. Violation: Any owner of a dog over the age of six (6) months who fails to obtain a license within the time period specified in this chapter shall be subject to prosecution for violation of this chapter as otherwise provided herein. (Ord. 197, 1-8-2013)
A. At Large Prohibited: It shall be unlawful for the owner of any animal, except cats, to fail to keep such animal under restraint or permit such animal to run at large upon the streets and public ways of the city, or upon private property without consent of the owner or present occupant. It shall be prima facie evidence of a violation of this section when an animal is found by an animal control officer or law enforcement officer while it is away from its owner (or responsible person).
B. Secured By Leash: Any animal, while on a street, sidewalk, public way or other public space, or upon private property without the consent of the owner, shall be secured by a leash or chain of sufficient tensile strength to restrain the particular animal and be controlled by a person of sufficient age and strength to control the animal. This shall not apply to animals prescribed by a doctor for medical reasons or other properly trained assist dogs.
C. Prevention Of Nuisance: No owner or custodian of any animal shall fail to exercise proper care and control of such animal to prevent the same from becoming a private or public nuisance.
D. Females In Heat: Every female animal in heat shall be confined in a building or other enclosed area in such a manner that such female animal cannot come into contact with another animal except for planned breeding. (Ord. 197, 1-8-2013)
A. Confinement: Every owner of a guard or attack dog shall keep such dog confined in a building, compartment or other enclosure. Any such enclosure shall be completely surrounded by a fence at least six feet (6') in height and shall be topped with an anticlimbing device to prevent the animal from exiting the top of the enclosure.
B. Security; Signage: Such areas of confinement shall all have gates and entrances thereto securely closed and locked, and all fences shall be properly maintained and escapeproof. Such premises shall be clearly posted to warn of the presence of guard dogs.
C. Exception: The provisions of this section shall not apply to dogs owned or controlled by government law enforcement agencies. (Ord. 197, 1-8-2013)
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