§ 6.12.180 Prohibited conduct.

   (A)   No owner or custodian of any animal, wild or domestic, shall permit or suffer the animal to do any of the following:

      (1)   Be at large;

      (2)   Act or be kept in such a manner as to constitute an animal nuisance within the meaning of this chapter, as described in § 6.12.210 et seq.;

      (3)   Endanger the life or health of others;

      (4)   Damage the property of others; or

      (5)   Be afflicted with and not be receiving medically accepted treatment for any injury, zoonotic or other communicable disease.

   (B)   If found guilty of violating this section, the owner or custodian may be ordered by the Animal Services Manager, Hearing Officer, or court to

relocate or otherwise remove the animal from the location where it is kept, to prevent further violations. The Animal Services Manager, Hearing Officer, or court may also prohibit the owner or custodian from owning animals for a period of three years. These actions may be taken in addition to any other fine or punishment the Animal Services Manager, Hearing Officer, or court deems necessary.

   (C)   It shall be unlawful to keep or permit to be kept any wild, undomesticated or exotic animal, as defined in § 6.12.050, within the city limits of Tulare.

      (1)   This section shall not apply to any facility possessing or maintaining exotic animals which are owned, operated or maintained by any city, county, state or federal government agency, including but not limited to, public zoos, museums, laboratories or research facilities maintained by scientific or educational institutions, and/or animal sanctuaries approved by the Department of Fish and Wildlife.

      (2)   At such time as any real property is annexed into the City of Tulare, any exotic animal(s), as defined in this chapter, owned and located on the property at the time of annexation, shall be entitled to remain in the care and custody of its owner; notwithstanding the limitations of this chapter, so long as it is not, in the determination of the Animal Services Division, a danger to humans or other animals. An exception to this rule is as follows:

         (a)   Wild animals as defined and identified in Cal. Fish and Game Code § 2116 are strictly prohibited.

(Ord. 17-13, passed 12-19-2017)