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Reading Overview
Reading, PA Code of Ordinances
READING, PA CODE OF ORDINANCES
PREFACE
Chapter C HOME RULE CHARTER
Chapter 1 GENERAL PROVISIONS
Chapter 5 ADMINISTRATIVE CODE
Chapter 14 AUTHORITIES
Chapter 23 BOARDS, COMMISSIONS, COMMITTEES AND COUNCILS
Chapter 36 FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICES
Chapter 51 INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM
Chapter 62 PENSIONS
Chapter 70 PERSONNEL
Chapter 77 POLICE DEPARTMENT
Chapter 91 SALARIES AND COMPENSATION
Chapter 120 ALARM SYSTEMS
Chapter 127 ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
Chapter 141 ANIMALS
Chapter 166 CABLE TELEVISION
Chapter 173 COMMERCIAL LAUNDRY CODE
Chapter 180 CONSTRUCTION CODES
Chapter 185 CONVERSION THERAPY
Chapter 188 CURFEW
Chapter 201 ELECTRIC SERVICE
Chapter 212 FEES
Chapter 219 FIREARMS
Chapter 225 FIREWORKS
Chapter 231 FIRE INSURANCE PROCEEDS
Chapter 237 FIRE PREVENTION AND PROTECTION
Chapter 251 FOOD CODE
Chapter 272 GRAFFITI
Chapter 288 HEALTH AND SAFETY
Chapter 295 HISTORICAL AND CONSERVATION DISTRICTS
Chapter 302 HOUSE NUMBERING
Chapter 308 HOUSING
Chapter 317 INVASIVE PLANTS AND NOXIOUS WEEDS
Chapter 325 LAW ENFORCEMENT
Chapter 328 LEAD POISONING PREVENTION
Chapter 332 LIBRARY
Chapter 339 LICENSES AND PERMITS
Chapter 346 LITTER AND ADVERTISING MATERIAL
Chapter 353 LOITERING AND PANHANDLING
Chapter 364 MASSAGE THERAPISTS
Chapter 378 MUNICIPAL CLAIMS AND LIENS
Chapter 387 NOISE
Chapter 396 PARKS AND RECREATION
Chapter 403 PAWNBROKERS
Chapter 410 PEDDLING AND SOLICITING
Chapter 424 POLES
Chapter 431 PROPERTY SALES
Chapter 433 PUBLIC ART
Chapter 438 RAIN BARRELS
Chapter 442 RECORDS, PUBLIC ACCESS
Chapter 453 SALES
Chapter 460 SCRAP METAL DEALERS
Chapter 467 SEWERS AND SEWAGE DISPOSAL
Chapter 473 SEXUALLY ORIENTED BUSINESSES
Chapter 479 SIDEWALK CAFES
Chapter 485 SIGNS
Chapter 496 SOLID WASTE
Chapter 502 STORAGE FACILITIES
Chapter 505 STORMWATER MANAGEMENT
Chapter 508 STREETS AND SIDEWALKS
Chapter 515 SUBDIVISION AND LAND DEVELOPMENT
Chapter 521 SUSTAINABILITY
Chapter 536 TAMPERING WITH PUBLIC PROPERTY
Chapter 540 TATTOO AND PIERCING ESTABLISHMENTS
Chapter 543 TAX ABATEMENTS
Chapter 546 TAX AMNESTY PROGRAM
Chapter 549 TAXATION
Chapter 555 TREES
Chapter 564 VEHICLE NUISANCES, STORAGE OF
Chapter 570 VEHICLE REPAIR SHOPS
Chapter 576 VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC
Chapter 583 VENDING MACHINES
Chapter 600 ZONING
Chapter A610 ANNEXATION OF TERRITORY
Chapter A611 BOND ISSUES AND LOANS
Chapter A612 FRANCHISE AND SERVICES
Chapter A613 GOVERNMENTAL AND INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
Chapter A614 PLAN APPROVAL
Chapter A615 PUBLIC PROPERTY
Chapter A616 SEWERS
Chapter A617 STREETS AND SIDEWALKS
Chapter A618 WATER
Chapter A619 ZONING; PRIOR ORDINANCES
Chapter DT DERIVATION TABLE
Chapter DL DISPOSITION LIST
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§ 141-204. Nuisances.
It shall be unlawful for any person to keep any animal on any property located within the incorporated limits of the City when such animal constitutes a public nuisance animal or a menace to public health or safety.
§ 141-205. Sanitation. [Amended 12-28-2009 by Ord. No. 57-2009]
   A.   All persons shall be responsible for the sanitary maintenance of the premises on which any animals are harbored, housed, maintained or kenneled. [Amended 6-23-2014 by Ord. No. 48-2014]
   B.   People owning, harboring or keeping an animal within the City shall not permit any waste matter from the animal to collect and remain on the property of the owner or custodian, or on the property of others so as to cause or create an unhealthy, unsanitary, dangerous or offensive living condition on the owner's or custodian's property, or to abutting property of others.
   C.   Excess animal food shall not be allowed to accumulate in such a manner as to create a food source for bacteria, insects or rodents.
   D.   No person shall maintain, transport or carry any animal or pet into any eating and drinking establishment, food manufacturing or food service facility, except trained, certified service dogs. [Amended 6-23-2014 by Ord. No. 48-2014]
   E.   Owners of leashed or unleashed animals shall be responsible for the removal and disposal of fecal matter deposited by his animal anywhere within the City.
§ 141-206. Caring for animals. [Amended 5-11-2015 by Ord. No. 22-2015; 3-27-2017 by Ord. No. 25-2017; 8-14-2017 by Ord. No. 80-2017]
   A.   Conduct prohibited by 18 Pa. C.S.A. §5511 (Cruelty to Animals) shall be unlawful under this part of the City Code of Ordinances. Rules and regulations made part of the Pa. Code which are promulgated under 18 Pa. C.S.A. § 5511 are incorporated herein by reference.
   B.   Animal shelters, or areas in which animals are maintained, shall be permitted only as approved by the City Zoning Office. Animal Shelters shall not be constructed or located in such a manner that it creates a health hazard or nuisance to the adjoining property owners. [Amended 6-23-2014 by Ord. No. 48-2014]
§ 141-207. Code Blue/Code Red.
   The City’s Animal Control Officer shall have the authority to announce/call a Code Blue, relating to extreme cold, or Code Red, relating to extreme heat, requiring the owners of dogs to protect the unattended dog from the extreme heat or cold by bringing the dog into the place where the owner or person who has custody, control or possession of the dog resides.
   (1)   A Code Blue may be called by the Animal Control Officer when the National Weather Service (NWS) predicts a wind chill temperature of 20° F. or below or precipitation with temperatures below 32° F.
   (2)   A Code Red may be called by the Animal Control Officer when the National Weather Service (NWS) predicts a heat index at 95° F. or above.
   (3)   The Animal Control Officer shall announce the declaration of the Code Blue or Code Red on its website, to all local media outlets, and to the social media outlets it regularly uses to communicate with the public. A minimum of eight hours’ notice shall be provided to Reading residents.
   (4)   In addition to the requirements of the Pa. Code animal regulations as per Subsection 141-206 A herein, any person who owns or has possession, custody or control of a dog shall not allow the animal to remain unattended outdoors (except for brief walks and brief periods of exercise) whenever a Code Blue or Code Red weather emergency has been declared by the City’s Animal Control Officer.
   (5)   If the City’s Animal Control Officer finds that any person who owns or has possession, custody or control of a dog has not complied with the regulations herein, the City’s Animal Control Officer shall have the ability to impound the dog, as per § 141-217, Impoundment, Part 6.
   (6)   Upon impoundment, the City’s Animal Control Officer shall follow the procedures in § 141-218, Impoundment notice to owner and redemption.
   (7)   Any person in violation of this Part shall be subject to the provisions of § 141-225, Violations and penalties, herein.
§ 141-208. Tethering prohibited.
It shall be unlawful for any person to tether, fasten, chain, tie, restrain or cause an unattended dog to be fastened, chained, tied or restrained to houses, trees, fences, garages, stakes or other stationary or highly immobile objects by means of a rope, chain, strap or other physical restraint for the purpose of confinement, except in circumstances where all of the following requirements are satisfied:
   (1)   The tethering is not for a longer period of time than reasonably necessary for the dog’s owner or custodian to complete a temporary task that requires the dog to be physically restrained, and
   (2)   The tether is attached to the dog by a non-choke type collar and attached to the stationary object by swivel anchors, latches, or similar devices in a manner which prevents the tether from becoming entangled around any object so as to limit the dog’s freedom within the tethered area, or to prevent the dog, or any of its appendages, from becoming entangled by the tether, and
   (3)   The tether must be of a type commonly used for the size of the dog involved and if the tether is a chain, it may not be thicker than one-eighth of an inch, and
   (4)   The dog has easy access to (i) potable drinking water, (ii) edible food and (iii) adequate shade and/or shelter within the tethered area, and
   (5)   The dog is periodically monitored while tethered for the aforementioned reasonable period of time, and
   (6)   The dog is not tethered outdoors in violation of § 141-207, Code Red or Code Blue above.
§ 141-209. Restraining and confinement generally.
   A.   It shall be unlawful for the owner of any dangerous dog and/or aggressive dog to fail to keep such dangerous dog and/or aggressive dog under restraint or to permit such dangerous dog and/or aggressive dog to run at large upon the streets and public ways of the City.
   B.   Any dog, while on a street, sidewalk, public way or in any park, public square, or other public space, or upon any private property without the consent of the owner, shall be secured by a leash or chain of sufficient tensile strength to restrain the particular dog, or shall be at heel and securely muzzled.
   C.   No owner or custodian of any animal shall fail to exercise proper care and control of such animal to prevent the same from becoming a public nuisance.
   D.   Every female dog in heat shall be confined to the residence of the owner or keeper in such a manner that such female dog cannot come into contact with another animal except for planned breeding.
   E.   Tethering a dog outdoors shall be prohibited as per §141-207 Code Red or Code Blue above. [Amended 3-27-2017 by Ord. No. 25-2017]
§ 141-210. Restraint of guard dogs.
   A.   Every owner of a guard or attack dog shall keep such dog confined in a building, compartment or other enclosure. Any such enclosure shall be completely surrounded by a fence at least six feet in height and shall be topped with an anticlimbing device constructed of angle metal braces with at least three strands of equally separated barbed wire stretched between them.
   B.   All anticlimbing devices shall extend inward at an angle of not less than 45° nor more than 90° when measured from the perpendicular.
   C.   The areas of confinement shall all have gates and entrances thereto securely closed and locked, and all fences property maintained and escape proof.
   D.   The provisions of this section shall not apply to dogs owned or controlled by government law enforcement agencies.
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