(a) No person being the owner, as defined in Section 501.01(g), of an animal or animals shall permit them to run or traverse at large upon any public place, upon any unenclosed lands, or upon the premises of another without the consent of the owner of such property within the Municipality.
(b) A dog shall not be considered to be running at large if under the reasonable control of some person.
(c) The running at large of any such animal in or upon any of the places mentioned in this section is prima-facie evidence that it is running or traversing at large in violation of this section.
(d) No owner of any dog shall permit the animal to enter upon any property that is not of his owner, when it is not securely leashed. The leash securing the animal shall not be longer than six (6) feet in length. The leash shall be controlled by a person that is physically capable of preventing the animal from entering private property and/or making physical contact with another animal or person, so long as such contact is not initiated by another animal or person.
(e) An animal may be confined by an underground fence or any similar device. This is defined as a buried wire, which gives a slight electrical charge when activated by a special collar worn by the animal which is to be confined. Such underground fence shall not allow the animal to move closer than ten (10) feet from the sidewalk or property line. This section shall not apply to any owner, who at the time of the passage of this section, has in place a nonconforming underground fence.
(f) Whoever violates this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor. If, within one (1) year of the offense, the offender previously has been convicted of violating this section, the offender is guilty of a misdemeanor in the fourth degree, and if the offender has two (2) or more violations of this section within one (1) year, the offender is guilty of a misdemeanor in the third degree.
(Ord. 76-96. Passed 6-10-96; Ord. 72-03. Passed 9-8-03; Ord. 48-13. Passed 7-1-13; Ord. 107-19. Passed 9-23-19.)