As used in this chapter:
(a) “Animal control officer” or “Animal Warden” means any staff person employed by the City for the animal shelter.
(b) “Animal hospital” means any facility which has the primary function of providing medical and surgical care for animals and is operated by a currently licensed veterinarian.
(c) “Animal shelter” means the facility or facilities operated by the City for the purpose of impounding or caring for the animals under the authority of this chapter or the laws of the State.
(d) “Animals” means any live, vertebrate creatures, domestic or wild, other than humans, and including all fowl.
(e) “Breeder” means any person who habitually lodges and/or feeds dogs within such persons's house or premises for the purpose of breeding.
(f) “Cat” means any member of the Felis catus family, male or female, regardless of age.
(g) “Catterie” means any establishment where cats are kept for the purpose of breeding.
(h) “Chief of Police” means the duly appointed, highest ranking officer in charge of the Police Department or his or her authorized representatives.
(i) “Commercial animal establishment” means any pet shop, grooming shop, guard shop service, business which keeps animals in stock for retail or wholesale trade, or any establishment performing one or more of the principal activities of the aforementioned establishments.
(j) “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.
(k) “Dangerous or exotic animal” means any animal, reptile or fowl or other such animal whose normal habitat is someplace other than northeast Ohio.
(l) “Dog” means any member of the Canis familiarities, male or female, regardless of age.
(m) “Fowl” means any bird belonging to one of two biological orders, namely the gamefowl or landfowl (galliformes) and the waterfowl (anseriformes).
(n) “Guardian” means a person(s) having the same rights and responsibilities of an “owner.” Both terms shall be used interchangeably. The absence of using both terms shall not relieve guardian and/or owner of any liability, responsibility, and/or obligation.
(o) “Health Officer” means the City-County Health Officer, or his or her authorized representative, including any employee of the City-County Health Department.
(p) “Household” means all persons living in the same single-family dwelling unit.
(q) “Humane live animal traps” means any cage trap that upon activation encloses an animal without placing any physical restraint upon any part of the body of such animal.
(r) “Humanely euthanize” means the proper injection of a substance that quickly and painlessly terminates the life of an animal, or any method approved by the American Veterinary Medical Association or the Humane Society of the United States.
(s) “Inhumane or cruel treatment or manner” means any treatment to any animal which deprives the animal of necessary sustenance, including sufficient and wholesome food, potable water and protection from the weather, or any treatment of any animal such as overloading, overworking, tormenting, beating, mutilating or teasing, or other abnormal treatment that causes suffering to such animal.
(t) “Kennel” or “shelter” means any premises upon which five or more cats or kittens and/or dogs and puppies are boarded, bred, trained, bought and/or sold, except for commercial animal establishments otherwise enumerated in the chapter.
(u) “Large animals” means any swine, bovine, goat, sheep, beast of burden or any other domestic or wild animal of similar or larger size.
(v) “Neutered” means any male or female cat or dog that has been permanently rendered sterile.
(w) “Owner”, “guardian”, “keeper”, “harborer” or “person in charge” means any person who feeds and/or shelters, or is in charge of, any animal for 24 or more consecutive hours, or who professes owner/guardianship of such animal. If a minor owns an animal, then the head of any household of which such minor is a member shall be deemed the owner/guardian of such animal under this chapter and shall be responsible as the owner/guardian. If not a member of a household, such minor shall be directly subject to the provisions of this chapter.
(x) “Person” means an individual, firm, association, joint stock company, syndicate, partnership or corporation.
(y) “Pet owner/guardian” means any person, other than those defined in divisions (e) and (v) of this section, who owns dogs or cats that are habitually lodged or fed within such person's house or premises.
(z) “Pit Bull Dog” includes the American Pit Bull Terrier, as recognized by the United Kennel Club, and the American Staffordshire Terrier, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier and the Bull Terrier, as recognized by the American Kennel Club, and any mixed breed of dog which contains as an element of its breeding any of the breeds described.
(aa) “Premises” means any parcel of land and any structure thereon in which any animal regulated by this chapter is housed and/or confined.
(bb) “Pure bred animal” means bred from members of a recognized breed, strain or unmixed ancestry.
(cc) “Safety Director” means the Supervisor of animal control and any or all other Animal Control Officers and animal control personnel assigned to work under the direct control of the Safety Department.
(dd) “Small animal” means any animal not within the definition of “large animal” but including all dogs without reference to size.
(ee) “Summons” means a violation notice requiring the violator to appear before the Municipal Judge.
(ff) “Wild animal” means any animal which is predominantly free-roaming, as opposed to domesticated, including but not limited to feral cats and feral dogs.
(Ord. 45-06. Passed 11-20-06; Ord. 35-10. Passed 3-15-10; Ord. 157-11. Passed 7-5-11.)