A. It shall be unlawful for any owner or custodian of any animal to fail to provide the animal with any of the following: sufficient, good and wholesome food, fresh, clean water, proper shelter and protection from the weather, appropriate veterinary care to prevent suffering and/or treat disease, a clean and wholesome living environment, and protection from abuse or misuse.
B. No owner or custodian of any animal shall wilfully abandon such animal on any street, road, highway or public place, or on private property without the consent of the owner thereof to provide care for the animal.
C. The owner/custodian of any animal which dies shall, within twenty four (24) hours, provide for the burial, incineration, or other disposition of the body of such dead animal in a safe and sanitary manner.
D. Animal services officers shall dispose of any animal found dead in the city whose owner/custodian cannot be readily ascertained by removing the body to the animal services center for disposition.
E. No person shall dye or color any rabbit, baby chick, ducklings, or other fowl, or sell, offer for sale, barter, or give away chicks, ducklings, other fowl, or rabbits less than three (3) weeks of age for any purpose. Research facilities shall be exempt from the provisions of this section.
F. It shall be unlawful for the owner/guardian of any animal to keep or maintain any animal on a fixed point tether or chain for a period of more than three (3) continuous hours and no more than six (6) hours combined in any twenty four (24) hour period.
1. The chain or tether must be at least ten feet (10') in length and placed in an area to prevent the animal from becoming tangled with any item or other animal in its surrounding area or able to leave its property. The chain or tether must be situated where it prevents the animal from reaching a fence or sidewalk.
2. No chain or tether shall weigh more than one-eighth (1/8) of the animal's body weight.
3. Any chain or tether must have swivels on both ends and be attached to a properly fitted buckle type collar or harness worn by the animal. Choke chains or pinch collars are prohibited for purposes of tethering an animal.
4. Any female animal in estrus (heat) must not be chained or tethered at any time.
5. Exception: An animal may be restrained by a chain or tether up to eight (8) hours, provided the chain or tether is at least ten feet (10') in length attached to a pulley or trolley mounted on a cable which is also at least ten feet (10') in length, and mounted no more than seven feet (7') above ground.
6. Regardless of the above provisions, no animal that has been convicted of being a dangerous animal, regardless of the form of the judgment, may be chained or tethered outside and left alone for any amount of time without an adult present and the animal muzzled.
G. It shall be unlawful to confine an animal in a motor vehicle or other enclosed space in which the temperature is either so high or so low as to cause potential harm to the animal.
1. If the owner of the vehicle cannot be located and the animal services officer believes that the animal(s) is in danger, the animal services officer shall attempt to contact a local veterinarian to see if the veterinarian is able to immediately come evaluate the situation.
2. If the potential harm to the animal is such that in the opinion of the animal services officer there is no time to wait for the veterinarian, then the animal services officer may enter the vehicle with the assistance of a Pocatello police officer and remove the animal(s) from potential harm.
3. If the animal services officer feels the animal can wait for the evaluation of the veterinarian, then the animal services officer shall wait until the veterinarian arrives. If the licensed veterinarian feels the animal is in danger of potential harm and needs to be removed for its health, the animal services officer with the help of the Pocatello police department can take the measures needed to remove the animal(s).
4. If the animal needs veterinary care, the animal services officer can transport the animal(s) to a veterinarian for treatment. If possible the car should be secured and proper notice for the owner with information on how to contact the animal services officer must be left in or on the vehicle.
5. All costs incurred for damages, veterinarian care and expenses shall be assessed to the owner of the animal(s). (Ord. 2975, 2016: Ord. 2963, 2015: Ord. 2884, 2010: Ord. 2838 § 5, 2008: Ord. 2667 § 2, 2001)