(A) Appropriate shelter. No person shall confine or allow his or her animal to remain outside without access to appropriate shelter from the elements.
(B) Hitching or tying. No animal shall be hitched, tied or fastened by any rope, chain or cord that is directly attached to the animal’s neck or choke collar. Animals that must be tied, hitched or fastened to restrain them must wear a properly fitted collar or harness. The tying device shall be attached to the animal’s collar or harness.
(C) Food and water. All animals shall have fresh, potable drinking water and be provided with food that is nutritional for that species.
(D) Vaccination; tags. Cats and dogs over the age of six months must be vaccinated by a licensed veterinarian against rabies, and must wear a tag at all times attached to a properly fitted collar or harness.
(E) Medical care, generally. All animals shall be provided with necessary medical care in addition to the required rabies vaccination.
(F) Removal of excrement. Persons responsible for an animal shall immediately remove the animal’s excrement from public lands or from the property of another, except a blind person working with a guide dog.
(G) Sanitation. All animals, where kept inside or in a pen, tied, fastened, hitched, leashed or enclosed in a fence shall be kept in a sanitary manner. The person responsible for the animal(s) shall regularly, and as often as necessary to, prevent odor or health and sanitation problems, maintain all animal areas or areas of animal contact.
(I) Restraint. All animals shall be properly restrained as required by this chapter.
(J) Cruelty. No person owning, harboring or responsible for an animal shall beat, cruelly treat, neglect, torment, overload, overwork or otherwise abuse any animal.
(K) Fighting. No person shall permit or conduct any dogfight, cockfight or other combat between animals or between animals and humans.
(L) Poisonous bait. No person shall set any type of poisonous substance or bait within the city limits, except as set forth in § 90.23 of this chapter.
(M) Motor vehicle-caused injuries. Any person operating a motor vehicle who causes injury or death to an animal shall stop at once, assess the extent of injury and immediately notify the owner or animal control shelter of the location of the animal.
(N) Animals in vehicles. No animal shall be left unattended in a vehicle when the conditions in that vehicle would constitute a health hazard to the animal.
(O) Training methods. No animal may be inducted or encouraged to perform through the use of chemical, mechanical, electrical or manual devices in a manner which will cause or is likely to cause physical injury or suffering.
(P) Animals in heat. Every female dog or cat in heat shall be confined in a secure building or enclosure so as to prevent conception, except during instances of planned breeding.
(Q) Abandonment. No person shall abandon or cause to be abandoned any animal anywhere within the city limits in any public or private place, way or building.
(R) Public nuisance animals. No person shall own or harbor a public nuisance as defined in this chapter.
(T) Animals as prizes or inducements. No person shall sell, offer for sale, trade, barter or give away any live animal, fish, bird or reptile, other than goldfish, as a prize for, or as an inducement to enter a place of amusement; or offer such vertebrate as an incentive to enter any business establishment or enter into any business agreement whereby the offer was made for the purpose of attracting trade, for business other than establishments selling animals as their primary business.
(U) Puppies and kittens for sale or the like. No puppy or kitten which is under the age of eight weeks may be offered for sale, trade or for other compensation or for a free giveaway (except a puppy or kitten or litter or litters may be taken to the animal control shelter).
(V) Dyed animals. No person shall sell, offer for sale, trade or barter any animal whose appearance has been chemically altered by dyes or staining.
(W) Animals as novelties. No person shall sell, offer for sale, barter or give away baby rabbits, chicks, goslings, ducklings or other fowl as pets or novelties. This division (W) shall not be construed to prohibit the sale or display of baby rabbits, chicks, goslings, ducklings or other fowl in proper brooder facilities by hatcheries or stores engaged in the business of selling them to be raised for commercial purposes.
(X) Distance of fowl coops from dwellings. No person shall keep or maintain any coop in which chickens, ducks, turkeys or other domestic fowl and poultry are kept within a distance of less than 50 feet from any dwelling.
(Y) Destruction of animals. No person other than a duly authorized agent of the animal control shelter may destroy any domestic animal within the city limits; provided, however, this provision shall not apply to the following:
(1) A licensed veterinarian;
(2) Those persons acting in immediate self-protection;
(3) City police officers or firefighters acting to prevent undue suffering; or
(4) A person while engaged in farming.
(AA) Interfering with enforcement. No person shall interfere with an Animal Control Officer in the pursuit of his or her duties as an officer.
(BB) Impoundment. Violations of the provisions of this section may result in impoundment of the animal(s) in accordance with this chapter.
(CC) Grooming care. The owner or harborer of an animal(s) deemed by the Department to require grooming shall complete such grooming in the time period prescribed by the Department and shall furnish proof of such grooming to the Department within such required time period.
(DD) Animal hoarding. No person shall engage in animal hoarding as defined in this chapter.
(EE) Prohibited tethering. No person shall:
(1) Tether an animal(s) between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.; or
(2) Tether an unsterilized animal(s) for any period of time; or
(3) Tether or confine an animal(s) in or about an unoccupied structure or property for any purpose unless the animal(s) is continuously monitored by an adult who is physically on site throughout the period of tethering or confinement; or
(4) Tether an animal(s) under six months of age; or
(5) Tether more than three animals simultaneously at the same location; or
(6) Tether more than one animal in a manner that permits physical contact between the tethered animals; or
(7) Tether animals within three feet of another person’s property, public thoroughfare, or right-of-way.
(Prior Code, § 90.03) (Ord. G-84-27, passed 12-11-1984; Ord. G-94-8, passed 10-24-1994; Ord. G-24-07, passed 3-26-2013; Ord. G-21-15, passed 7-30-2021) Penalty, see § 90.99