(A) The following actions shall be required of owners of dogs or animals that have been declared dangerous dogs or animals.
(1) Any dangerous dog or animal which bites or scratches a human being, or any dog or animal, whose behavior immediately prior to or during an incident resulting in a human being bitten or scratched, which is determined to be dangerous, shall be impounded for a ten-day rabies quarantine at a veterinarian clinic.
(2) The owner or keeper shall notify the Police Department immediately if a dangerous dog or animal is loose, unconfined or missing, has attacked another animal, or has attacked a human being.
(3) The owner or keeper shall notify the Police Department within 24 hours if a dangerous dog or animal has died or has been sold or given away. If the dog or animal has been sold or given away, the owner or keeper shall provide the Police Department with the name, address, and telephone number of the new owner; and the new owner, if the dog or animal is kept within the city limits, must comply with the requirements of this chapter.
(4) (a) While on the owner’s property, a dangerous dog or animal must be securely confined indoors or in a securely enclosed and locked pen or structure, suitable to prevent the entry of young children and designed to prevent the animal from escaping. Such pen or structure must have minimum dimensions of five feet by ten feet and must have secure sides and a secure top. If it has no bottom secured to the sides, the sides must be embedded into the ground no less than 12 inches.
(b) The enclosure must also provide protection from the elements for the dog or animal. The enclosure, when occupied by a dangerous dog or animal, shall not be occupied by any other animal. If the dangerous dog or animal is a female with a litter of young under three months of age, the litter of young may occupy the same enclosure as the mother.
(5) No dangerous dog or animal may be kept on a porch, patio, or in any part of a house or structure that would allow the dog or animal to exit such building on its own volition. In addition, no such animal may be kept in a house or structure when the windows are open or when screen windows or screen doors are the only obstacle preventing the dog or animal from exiting the structure.
(6) The owner or keeper shall display a sign on his or her premises that there is a dangerous dog or animal on the property. This sign shall be visible and capable of being read from the public highway or thoroughfare from which the property is entered. In addition, a similar sign is required to be posted on the kennel or pen or fenced yard of such animal.
(7) A dangerous dog or animal may be off the owner’s premises if it is muzzled and restrained by a substantial chain or leash not exceeding six feet in length and under the control of a responsible person. The muzzle must be made in a manner that will not cause injury to the dog or animal or interfere with its vision or respiration but must prevent it from biting any person or animal.
(8) All owners or keepers of dangerous dogs or animals must, within ten days of such declaration, provide the Police Department two color photographs, one showing the left profile, the other showing the right profile of the animal clearly showing the color and approximate size of the animal.
(9) Any dangerous dog or animal shall wear at all times a bright fluorescent yellow collar with required tags attached so the dog or animal can be identified as a dangerous dog or animal.
(B) It shall be unlawful for the owner or keeper of a dangerous dog or animal within the city to fail to comply with requirements and conditions set forth in this section. Anyone found to be subject of a violation of this section may be, in addition to other penalties provided by ordinance, subject to immediate seizure and impoundment for a minimum of ten days or the time necessary for the owner or keeper to show compliance with this section, whichever is shorter.
(Ord. 05-006, passed 10-18-2005) Penalty, see § 90.99