(A) No person shall purposely or knowingly provide food for dogs, cats, deer, geese ducks, raccoons, skunks, fowl or other wild animals, wildlife or stray animals, except as otherwise specifically authorized in designated and marked public areas, where such feeding:
(1) Causes or contributes to damage to the property of another; or
(2) Creates a public or private nuisance.
(B) This section does not apply to fishing, feeding of animals owned by that person, or to song birds fed from a stationary and off-ground/hanging bird feeder.
(C) This section shall not apply to a law enforcement officer, game officer or conservation officer enforcing the laws of the State of Ohio, or any local ordinances, nor to anyone officially authorized by the city to engage in an animal control program, including, without limitation, a feral cat trap-neuter-vaccinate-return program or similar program.
(D) The city may initiate a civil action in the Court of Common Pleas for injunctive and other relief for any violation of this section.
(E) Whoever violates this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor for a first offense and a misdemeanor of the fourth degree for each subsequent offense. A separate offense shall be deemed committed on each day on or during which a violation of this section occurs.
(Ord. 23-009, passed 2-7-23)