§ 6-1. Definitions.
The following words and phrases shall, for the purposes of this chapter, have the meanings respectively ascribed to them:
Adult: Any animal three (3) months of age or older.
Animal: Any living, vertebrate creature, domestic or wild, other than homo sapiens, insects, and plants.
Applicable fees: Those reasonable charges incurred for the care and maintenance provided by the animal control center for impounded animals.
At large: Any dog not confined to the premises of the owner or within a house or other building or enclosure or restrained upon the premises of the owner by a leash sufficiently strong to prevent the dog from escaping and restricting the dog to the premises, or not confined by a leash or confined within an automobile or confined by a leash on a vehicle (i.e., pickup truck) while the vehicle is parked, when away from the premises of the owner.
Cat: A commonly domesticated member of the Felidae (feline) family.
Dog: A commonly domesticated member of the Canidae (canine) family.
Dog license: A legally granted privilege, upon compliance with the terms of this chapter, to own, keep, harbor, or have custody or control of a dog within the city limits.
Dog tag: A metal tag authorized by the city for attachment to a dog collar which displays a serial number corresponding to the number of dog license for such animal, and which shows the year the license was issued by the city.
Fowl: Chickens, ducks, guineas, pigeons, pheasants, peacocks, geese, quail, dove, or similar feathered animals, except parakeets, parrots, or other birds that are customarily retained as common household pets.
Impound: To take an animal in to custody by the city; impoundment shall begin at the time any animal control officer or police officer takes control of an animal either by hand, rope, trap, projectile, or confinement to a vehicle.
Kennel: An establishment designed or used for the boarding, selling, or breeding of animals where more than four (4) animals are to be boarded, sold, or bred.
Livestock: Any animal raised for human consumption or an equine animal including, but not limited to, horses, stallions, mares, gelding, filly, colts, mules, hinny, jacks, jennets, donkeys, llamas, burros, goats, sheep, a head of any species of cattle, or emus, ostrich, or rhea, or any crossbreeding of such species.
Owner: Any person who owns, keeps, shelters, maintains, feeds, harbors, or has temporary or permanent custody of a domestic or prohibited animal, or who knowingly permits a domestic or prohibited animal to remain on or about any premises occupied by that person over which that person has control. An animal shall be deemed to be owned by a person who harbored it, fed it, or sheltered it for three (3) consecutive days or more.
Public nuisance: Whatever is declared by the director of environmental health to be dangerous to human life, health, or welfare, or to threaten to become detrimental to the public health or welfare.
Quarantine: To take into custody and place in confinement as defined in this chapter isolated from human beings and other animals in such a way as to preclude the possibility of disease transmission.
Rabies: An acute viral disease of man and animal affecting the central nervous system and usually transmitted by an animal bite.
Sanitary: Any condition of good order and cleanliness, which discourages and limits disease transmission.
Secure enclosure: A fence or structure of at least six (6) feet in height, forming or causing an enclosure suitable to prevent the entry of other animals or young children, and suitable to confine a female in heat or dangerous animal in conjunction with other measures which may be taken by the owner. Such enclosure shall be securely enclosed and locked and designed with secure sides, top, and bottom and shall be designed to prevent the animal(s) from escaping from the enclosure.
Severe bodily injury: Physical pain, illness, or any impairment of physical condition; an injury characterized by severe bite wounds or severe ripping and tearing of muscle that would cause a reasonable prudent person to seek treatment from a medical professional and would require hospitalization without regard to whether the person actually sought medical treatment.
Sterilization: Surgical removal of the reproductive organs of an animal to render the animal unable to reproduce.
Unprovoked attack by an animal: An incident in which an animal, has attacked a human being or an animal was not hit, kicked, or struck by a human being with any object or part of a human being's body, nor was any part of the animals body pulled, pinched, or squeezed by a human being, nor was the animal taunted or teased by any human being, nor was the human being in the animals territory or on the property of the animals owner at the time of the attack.
Vaccinated animal: Unless otherwise indicated, an animal vaccinated against rabies within the past twelve (12) months by a licensed veterinarian.
Venomous reptiles: Any venomous lizard (family helodermatidae), venomous marine snakes (hydrophiidae), rattlesnakes, pit vipers, and true vipers (viperidae), coral snakes, cobras, mambas (elapidae); or any crossbreeding of such species.
(Ord. No. 2254, 8-2-04)