Section
General Provisions
90.01 Administration and enforcement
90.02 Definitions
90.03 Dogs, cats, pigs at large
90.04 Keeping dangerous animals prohibited; exceptions
90.05 Aid escape
90.06 Defecation
90.07 Cleanup
90.08 Noise
90.09 Interference with enforcement
90.10 Dead animals; disposal limited
90.11 Domestic animals on city cemetery property
90.12 Snakes
90.13 Miniature pigs
90.14 Licensing requirements; immunization
90.15 Reserved
90.16 Quarantine
90.17 Standard of care
90.18 Animals in motor vehicles
90.19 Tethering
Impoundment
90.30 When required
90.31 Fees
90.32 Period dogs required to be kept
90.33 Redemption of licensed dogs and cats
90.34 Redemption of unlicensed dogs and cats
90.35 Disposition of unredeemed dogs and cats
Vicious, Dangerous and Problematic Dogs
90.50 Restraining problematic and dangerous dogs
90.51 Definitions
90.52 Determination of problematic and dangerous dogs
90.53 Determination of vicious dogs
90.54 Exceptions; consequences of determinations
90.55 Registration and handling requirements
90.56 Owner responsibility
90.57 License required
90.99 Penalty
GENERAL PROVISIONS
(A) General. The City Administrator shall be responsible for the administration of the provisions of this chapter. The City Administrator, and the City Administrator’s duly-designated representatives, including, but not limited to, the Chief of Police or any member of the Police Department, shall be responsible for the enforcement of the provisions of this chapter. Those persons charged with enforcing the provisions of this chapter shall have the authority to seize and impound animals pursuant to the provisions of this chapter and shall have the authority to write and serve municipal infraction citations and enforcement/impoundment fee tickets as provided in this chapter. It shall be the duty of those persons charged with enforcing the provisions of this chapter to impound any animals found in violation of the terms of this chapter, unless the responsible party for the animal can be served a municipal infraction and the officer believes the impoundment is not warranted. References to the City Administrator herein contained shall be deemed to include the City Administrator’s duly-appointed designee.
(2011 Code, § 13.0301)
(B) Contracts with an animal control facility. The city may contract with another governmental entity, nonprofit, or private entity for the prevention of cruelty to animals, for the collection and protection of dogs and cats, for the maintenance of a shelter or pound, for unlicensed or untagged dogs and cats and for lost, strayed or homeless dogs and cats and for the destruction or other disposition of seized dogs and cats not redeemed, as provided by this chapter.
(2011 Code, § 13.0320)
(Ord. 2189, passed 4-10-2012; Ord. 2205, passed 1-28-2013; Ord. 2426, passed 3-20-2023)
For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning. Words used in the singular include the plural and the plural the singular, the masculine gender includes the feminine and the feminine the masculine.
ABANDON. Ceasing to provide control over, shelter, food and water for an animal without having made responsible arrangements for such care, custody and physical control to be provided by another person.
ANIMAL. Every wild, tame or domestic member of the animal kingdom other than the genus and species Homo sapiens.
CAT. Both male and female animals of the feline species, whether neutered or not.
DANGEROUS ANIMAL.
(1) Any animal which is not naturally tame or gentle, and which is of a wild nature or disposition, and which is capable of killing, inflicting serious injury upon, or causing disease among, human beings or domestic animals and having known tendencies as a species to do so;
(2) Any animals declared to be dangerous by the City Administrator or the City Administrator’s designee; and
(3) The following animals which shall be deemed to be DANGEROUS ANIMALS per se:
(a) Artiodactyla of the family Antilocapridae which includes pronghorns;
(b) Artiodactyla of the family Cervidae which includes moose and caribou;
(c) Artiodactyla of the family Suidae and the genus and species Sus scrofa (domestic swine and wild boar) which includes all male and female wild boars; this shall not apply to breeds of domesticated miniature pigs, as regulated by § 90.13 of this chapter;
(d) Bovidae - males only (bulls);
(e) Carnivora of the family Canidae which includes wolves and foxes, but excluding domestic dogs;
(f) Carnivora of the family Felidae which includes lions, lynx, and bobcats, but excluding domestic cats;
(g) Carnivora of the family Mustelidae which includes badgers, wolverines, weasels and skunks, except ferrets;
(h) Carnivora of the family Procyonidae which includes raccoons;
(i) Carnivora of the family Ursidae which includes bears;
(j) Chelonia of the family Chelydridae (snapping turtles);
(k) Crocodilia which includes crocodiles and alligators;
(l) Chiroptera (bats);
(m) Proboscidae (elephants);
(n) Rodentia of the family Muridae (rats), except white rats kept as household pets;
(o) Squamata of the suborder Ophidia (snakes) which are venomous; and
(p) Squamata of the suborder Ophidia (snakes) which are constrictors that are greater than six feet in length.
(2011 Code, § 13.0302) (Ord. 2189, passed 4-10-2012; Ord. 2205, passed 1-28-2013; Ord. 2280, passed 1-4-2017)
(A) (1) Dogs and pigs properly identified as required by law shall be deemed at large if the animal is off the premises of the owner. A dog or pig shall not be deemed at large if:
(a) On the premises of its owner;
(b) Off the premises of the animal’s owner and under the control of a person given charge of the dog by the owner by leash, cord, chain or other similar restraint not more than six feet in length;
(c)
Confined within a motor vehicle;
(d) Properly housed in a veterinary hospital or kennel or commercial establishment as defined by Iowa Code Ch. 162; or
(e) In the designated enclosed area of a city owned dog park.
(2) Cats are allowed to be unrestrained any time within the city, except agents and agencies responsible for animal control within the city are hereby authorized to temporarily seize any cat running at large within the city for the limited purposes of ascertaining whether such cat is currently licensed and vaccinated for rabies. Upon confirmation of current license and rabies tags, such cat shall be immediately released. In the absence of a current license or rabies tag, such cat shall be impounded as provided hereinafter.
(3) A cat, properly licensed and displaying such license as required by law, shall not be deemed at large if the cat is not causing damage or interfering with property of another.
(2011 Code, § 13.0303)
(B) No owner, or person in charge, of any licensed or unlicensed dog, or any cat, or any pig, shall permit such dog or cat or pig to run at large in the city at any time as described in division (A) above.
(2011 Code, § 13.0319)
(C) Owners utilizing an electronic underground invisible fence to contain dogs in the front yard or side yard of a corner lot of their residential property shall post a sign in such a place as to provide notice to persons entering the property or utilizing an adjacent public sidewalk or street indicating the presence and use of an invisible fence.
(Ord. 2189, passed 4-10-2012; Ord. 2205, passed 1-28-2013; Ord. 2247, passed 5-4-2015; Ord. 2280, passed 1-4-2017; Ord. 2426, passed 3-20-2023) Penalty, see §
90.99
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