No owner or keeper of an animal shall suffer, permit, or fail to prevent an animal from biting or attacking a person or another animal resulting in injury to the person or animal attacked; provided, that such an attack on a person who is or reasonably appears to be in the commission of an act made punishable under the State Criminal Code is not prohibited if the animal is acting in the defense of the owner or keeper or his or her family or premises, and the animal remains on its premises. For purposes of this section, it is not necessary that the person bitten or attacked be arrested or convicted of a criminal offense.
(1999 Code, § 90.06) Penalty, see § 10.99