As used in this chapter:
(a) "Animal" means any live, vertebrate creature, domestic or wild.
(b) "Animal Control Officer" means any person so employed or designated by the City for the purpose of animal control under all applicable laws.
(c) "At large" means off the premises of the owner and/or not under control or restrained.
(d) "Companion animal" means any animal that is kept inside a residential dwelling and any dog or cat regardless of where it is kept. "Companion animal" does not include livestock or any wild animal.
(e) "Cruelty", "torment" and "torture" have the same meanings as in Ohio R.C. 1717.01.
(f) "Dog kennel" means an animal rescue for dogs that is registered under Ohio R.C. 956.06, a boarding kennel, or a training kennel.
(g) "Domesticated" means any animal which is acceptable by the general public as tamable and bred as a tamed animal for the purposes of man.
(h) "Exotic" means any animal foreign, including a hybrid offspring thereof, not indigenous to the State of Ohio and all animals defined under Ohio R.C. 935.01(C).
(i) "Federal Animal Welfare Act" means the "Laboratory Animal Act of 1966," Pub. L. No. 89-544, 80 Stat. 350 (1966), 7 U.S.C. 2131 et seq., as amended by the "Animal Welfare Act of 1970," Pub. L. No. 91-579, 84 Stat. 1560 (1970), the "Animal Welfare Act Amendments of 1976," Pub. L. No. 94-279, 90 Stat. 417 (1976), and the "Food Security Act of 1985," Pub. L. No. 99-198, 99 Stat. 1354 (1985), and as it may be subsequently amended.
(j) "Humane trap" means an enclosure in which an animal can be caught without causing injury, pain or undue suffering to the animal.
(k) "Livestock" means horses, mules, and other equidae; cattle, sheep, goats, and other bovidae; swine and other suidae; poultry; alpacas; llamas; captive white-tailed deer; and any other animal that is raised or maintained domestically for food or fiber.
(l) "Owner" means any person, firm, corporation, business or any affiliated or unaffiliated group of persons owning, keeping, possessing, harboring, maintaining or having the care, custody and control of one or more animals. Any entity shall be presumed to be the owner, keeper or harborer of an animal for the purpose of this chapter if such entity causes or does the following:
(1) Knowingly allows any animal to remain on his or her property;
(2) Knowingly or recklessly feeds such animal food or water;
(3) Knowingly restrains such animal from leaving his or her property.
(m) "Practice of veterinary medicine" has the same meaning as in Ohio R.C. 4741.01.
(n) "Public nuisance" means any animal which:
(1) Molests passerbys or passing vehicles;
(2) Attacks other domestic animals;
(3) Is repeatedly at large;
(4) Damages private or public property; or
(5) Vocally disturbs the peace through excessive barking or howling.
(o) "Residential dwelling" means a structure or shelter or portion of a structure or shelter that is used by one or more humans for the purpose of habitation.
(p) "Shelter" means a man-made enclosure, windbreak, sunshade, or natural windbreak or sunshade that is developed from the earth's contour, tree development, or vegetation, a structure or device sufficient to protect any animal from direct contact with the elements (sun, wind, rain, snow, ice, etc…)
(q) "Stray" means any animal running at large without identification.
(r) "Vicious dog" means a dog that has been labeled as a vicious dog pursuant to Ohio R.C. Chapter 955 or pursuant to a similar local ordinance.
(s) "Wild" means any animal which generally lives in its original, natural state and is not normally tamed or domesticated.
(Ord. 6612. Passed 10-4-16.)