A. Cruelty Prohibited Generally; Reasonable Force Allowed: It is unlawful for any person to wilfully or maliciously inflict unnecessary or needless cruelty, torture, or abuse or to cruelly beat, strike or abuse any animal, or by an act, omission or neglect cause or inflict any unnecessary or unjustifiable pain, suffering, injury or death to any animal. This rule applies whether such animal belongs to such person or to another. Reasonable force may be employed to drive away vicious or trespassing animals. (1988 Code § 6.08.010)
B. Proper Care And Maintenance: It is the duty of any person to provide any animal in his charge or custody, as owner or otherwise, with adequate food, drink, care and shelter. (1988 Code § 6.08.020)
C. Abandonment: It is unlawful for any person to abandon any animal within the unincorporated territory of the county. (1988 Code § 6.08.030)
D. Physical Abuse: It is unlawful for any person to wilfully or maliciously kill, maim, disfigure, torture, beat with a stick, chain, club or other object, mutilate, burn or scald, overdrive or otherwise cruelly set upon any animal. Each such incident shall constitute a separate violation. (1988 Code § 6.08.040)
E. Animals For Fighting:
1. It is unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to raise, keep or use any animal, fowl or bird:
a. For the purpose of fighting or baiting; and
b. For any person to be a party to or be present as a spectator at any such fighting or baiting of any animal or fowl; and
c. For any person, firm or corporation to knowingly rent any building, shed, room, yard, ground or premises for any such purposes as above mentioned, or to knowingly suffer or permit the use of his building, sheds, rooms, yard, ground, or premises for the purposes aforesaid.
2. Law enforcement officers may enter any building or place where there is an exhibition of the fighting or baiting of a live animal, or where preparations are being made for such an exhibition, and the law enforcement officers may arrest any person there present and take possession of all animals engaged in fighting, or there found for the purposes of fighting, along with all implements, equipment, materials, furnishings or applications used in such exhibition. This provision shall not be interpreted to authorize a search or arrest without a warrant when such is required by law. (1988 Code § 6.08.050)
F. Poisoning: It is unlawful for any person, by any means, to make accessible to any animal, with intent to cause harm or death, any substance which has in any manner been treated or prepared with any harmful or poisonous substance. This subsection shall not be interpreted so as to prohibit the use of poisonous substances for the control of vermin in furtherance of the public health, when applied in such a manner as to reasonably prohibit access by other animals, or for the control of predators in a manner permitted by federal and state law and regulations. (1988 Code § 6.08.060)