(A) Biting animals. No owner of an animal shall permit, or fail to prevent an animal from biting or attacking a person or another animal resulting in injury to the person or animal attacked. If such an attack is made upon a person who is or reasonably appears to be in the commission of an act made punishable under the state criminal code, the action is not prohibited if the animal is acting in the defense of the owner or his or her family or premises and the animal remains on its premises. For purposes of this section, it is not necessary that the person bitten or attacked be arrested or convicted of a criminal offense.
(B) Confinement of dangerous dogs and other animals; warning.
(1) No person shall keep within the city any animal known to be dangerous or vicious, unless the person shall keep the animal safely and securely confined so as to protect from injury any person who may come on the premises in the vicinity where the animal may be located.
(2) Adequate warning by sign, or otherwise, shall be given to all persons coming on the premises in the vicinity of any such dangerous animal.
(3) When in a public place, an owner must keep the dangerous animal on a leash and muzzled.
(C) Confinement of vicious dogs. It shall be unlawful for any person to keep or maintain any dog which has been found to be a vicious dog unless the dog is kept in an enclosure. The only times that a vicious dog may be allowed out of the enclosure are the following:
(1) If it is necessary for the owner to obtain veterinary care for the dog, provided that the vicious dog is on a leash and muzzled;
(2) In the case of an emergency or natural disaster where the dog’s life is threatened; or
(3) To comply with the order of a court of competent jurisdiction, provided that the dog is securely muzzled and restrained with a leash not exceeding six feet in length and shall be under the direct control and supervision of the owner of the dog or muzzled in its residence.
(D) Killing of dangerous or vicious dogs.
(1) The members of the Police Department, or any other person in the city, are authorized to kill any dangerous or vicious dogs when it is necessary for the protection of any person, from serious and unjustified imminent threat of serious physical injury or death.
(2) Any owner seeing his or her own animal, whether that animal is a dog, cat, livestock, poultry or Equidae being injured, wounded or killed by a dog, not accompanied by or not under the supervision of its owner, may kill such dog.
(Ord. 2005-29, passed 9-13-2005)