(A) It shall be the duty of every owner of any animal, or anyone having any animal in possession or custody, to exercise reasonable care and to take all necessary steps and precautions to protect other people, property, and animals from injuries or damage which might result from the owner's animal's behavior, regardless of whether such behavior is motivated by mischievousness, playfulness, or ferocity.
(B) It shall be the duty of every owner of any animal that resides on rental property to notify the property owner if that animal has been declared dangerous.
(C) It shall be the duty of every owner of any animal, or anyone having any animal in his/her possession or custody, to ensure that the animal is kept under control and that reasonable care and precautions are taken to prevent the animal from leaving, while unattended, the real property limits of its owner, possessor or custodian and that:
(1) It is securely and humanely enclosed within an enclosure as described in this chapter, out of which it cannot climb, dig, jump, or otherwise escape on its own; and such enclosure must be securely locked at anytime the animal is left unattended; or
(2) In the event the animal is outside of its dwelling unit and enclosure, the animal shall be securely muzzled and restrained with a lead or leash and shall be under the direct control of its owner.
(3) Any animal placed under the dangerous animal section of this chapter, the animal is to be spayed or neutered at the expense of the owner.
(4) Any animal placed under the dangerous animal section of this chapter, the animal is to be microchipped at the expense of the owner.
(5) Any animal declared a dangerous animal shall purchase and maintain a current license for a dangerous animal.
(6) The owner of a dangerous animal shall display a sign on his/her property or premises warning that there is a dangerous animal on the premises. The sign shall be visible and capable of being read from a public right-of-way
(7) The owner shall immediately notify the animal shelter, the city police department, or the county sheriff if a dangerous animal is loose, and /or has attacked another animal or a human being, or has died.
(8) The animal may be impounded to make whatever inquiry is deemed necessary to ensure compliance with the provisions of this chapter, and any animal control officer is hereby empowered to seize and impound any dangerous animal owner of which fails to comply with the provisions hereof, subject to the right of such owner to contest the seizure or impoundment, as provided in this chapter, in county court. The animal will be retained by the animal shelter during the pendency of any such proceeding if the owner posts a bond pursuant to § 91.26 of this chapter, and the animal shelter shall have the power to dispose of any such animal prior to the termination of any court proceedings if no bond is posted or the bond is allowed to lapse, in accordance with that section of this chapter.
(9) In the event that any animal previously placed under the dangerous animal section of this chapter is found running at-large or in violation of this chapter, the animal will be impounded by an animal control officer and euthanized.
(10) Any owner of an animal declared as dangerous shall not sell, transfer, give away, or use other forms of disposition of the animal other than surrender the animal to the animal shelter.
(11) Any owner of an animal declared as dangerous shall request authorization from the animal shelter to change the location of the animal. The new location, if authorized, shall comply with the requirements of this chapter.
(12) In the event that the owner of the animal refuses to surrender the animal to an animal control officer, the animal control officer may request a warrant to seize the animal upon execution of the warrant.
(D) Any person or entity who violates this section shall be subject to the penalty provided in § 91.99 of this chapter.
(Ord. G-13-11, passed 5-16-2013) Penalty, see § 91.99