A. Any person owning or having charge, custody, care or control of any animal (except cats) kept or harbored in the city shall confine such animal exclusively upon such owner's premises, except when otherwise properly restrained as hereinafter provided.
B. No person shall allow or permit any animal (except that are spayed or neutered or currently licensed by the City of Visalia cats) to run at large, or be pastured, herded, staked, or tied in or on any public alley, street sidewalk, vacant lot, school grounds, or other public place belonging to or under the control of the city or in such a way as to trespass in any manner upon any of the aforesaid public places.
C. No person shall permit any animal (except that are spayed or neutered or currently licensed by the City of Visalia cats) to be at large or to go or be upon the premises owned or occupied by any other person in the city without said person's consent.
D. All dogs shall be kept under restraint at all times, otherwise they will be classed as running at large.
E. Any animal (except that are spayed or neutered or currently licensed by the City of Visalia cats) permitted to be at large or trespassing upon private premises or public property in violation of this section shall be deemed prima facie to be under the control of the animal’s owner and is declared to be a public nuisance and menace to public health and safety, and shall be seized and impounded as provided in this title.
F. No owners shall fail to exercise proper care and control of their animals, (except cats) to prevent them from becoming a public nuisance. Excessive continuous or untimely barking, or other noise, molesting passersby, chasing vehicles, habitually attacking other domestic animals, trespassing upon private property in such manner as to damage property, shall be deemed a public nuisance.
G. Every female dog or cat in heat shall be confined in a building or secure enclosure in such manner that such female dog or cat cannot come into contact with another animal except for planned breeding.
H. No persons shall keep or permit to be kept on their premises any wild, exotic, or vicious animal for display or for exhibition purposes, whether gratuitously or for a fee. This section shall not be construed so as to apply to a zoological garden, commercial animal establishment, theatrical exhibit or circus as defined in Section 6.04.010, except that no theatrical exhibit or act shall be held in which animals are encouraged to perform through the use of chemical, electrical, or mechanical devices.
I. No person shall keep or permit to be kept any wild animal as a pet. (Ord. 2019-09 § 2, 2019; Ord. 9605 § 20 (part), 1996; prior code § 4623)