505.01 DEFINITIONS.
(a) "Owner" means any person, firm, association or corporation owning, keeping, harboring, handling or having charge of any animal or fowl.
(b) "Animal" means a dog, cat, caged bird, hamster, gerbil, fish or other animal commonly considered domestic, including potbellied pigs, but excluding lions, tigers, panthers or other animals considered exotic. In addition, farm animals and fowl shall be defined as follows:
(1) “Farm Animal" means any farm animal, other than an Animal, including but not limited to a horse, mule, cow, pig, goat, sheep, alpaca, and llama.
(2) “Fowl" means any goose, turkey, duck, chicken and other similar type of animal. (Fowl does not include a rooster which is prohibited under Section 505.14(e) of this Chapter).
(c) "Police dog" means a dog that has been trained and is being used to assist one or more law enforcement officers in the performance of their official duties.
(d) "At large" means either of the following:
(1) An animal that is off the premises of the owner and not under the control of the owner by a leash, cord, chain or other device of restraint; or
(2) An animal that is on the premises of the owner and outside the perimeter of an enclosed area, electronically fenced area or building while not under the control of the owner or not restrained by a leash, cord, chain, electronic fence or similar device of restraint.
(e) "Menacing fashion" describes an animal behaving in a way that would cause a reasonable person being chased or approached to believe that the animal is likely to cause physical injury to that person or another.
(f) "Without provocation" means an animal acts despite not being teased, tormented or abused by a person.
(g) "Serious injury" means any of the following:
(1) Any physical harm that carries a substantial risk of death;
(2) Any physical harm that involves a permanent incapacity, whether partial or total, or a temporary substantial incapacity;
(3) Any physical harm that involves a permanent disfigurement or a temporary, serious disfigurement; or
(4) Any physical harm that involves acute pain of a duration that results in substantial suffering or any degree of prolonged or intractable pain.
(h) "Nuisance dog" means a dog that is not a police dog which, without provocation and while at large, has chased or approached a person in a menacing fashion or has attempted to bite or otherwise endanger any person or animal or has been the subject of a third or subsequent violation of Section 505.08 and as is further defined under Section 505.08(c) or (d).
(i) "Dangerous dog" means a dog that is not a police dog which, without provocation, has done any of the following:
(1) Caused injury, other than killing or causing serious injury, to any person;
(2) Seriously injured or killed another dog or animal; or
(j) "Vicious dog" means a dog that is not a police dog which, without provocation, has killed or caused serious injury to any person. "Vicious dog" does not include a dog that has killed or caused serious injury to any person while that person was committing or attempting to commit a trespass or other criminal offense on the property of the owner of the dog.
(Ord. 2023-04. Passed 5-15-23.)