§ 7.16.030. Vicious animals—Ownership permitted when.  


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  • Any animal which is declared to be dangerous by the Animal Regulation Officer may be kept within the City, provided that:

    (A)

    Within fourteen days after the owner or keeper is notified of the declaration, the area in which the owner or keeper intends to keep the animal must pass an inspection by the Animal Regulation Officer, and the owner or keeper must obtain from the Animal Regulation Officer a permit to keep the animal, based upon such terms and conditions as the Animal Regulation Officer deems appropriate. A nonrefundable inspection fee of fifty dollars will be charged the owner or keeper. For purposes of this Subsection (A), notice of the declaration shall be deemed complete if it is served personally, or upon mailing by certified mail, return receipt requested, sent to the last known address of the owner or keeper.

    (B)

    The animal shall be kept, confined or housed within an enclosure:

    (1)

    That will ensure the animal's retention and comfort, is of a size to permit the animal to stand upright, and is of a dimension deemed adequate by the Animal Regulation Officer; and

    (2)

    That is secure enough so that the animal cannot bite, harm or injure anyone by overreaching the top of the fence or other enclosure.

    (C)

    At no time shall the animal be allowed to leave the private property confines of the owner or person in charge of the animal unless it is muzzled, leashed and under the effective control of an adult.

    (D)

    The private property shall be adequately and properly posted with conspicuous warning signs, with a listing of the name and telephone number of the owner of the animal.

    (E)

    The animal must be sterilized by a licensed veterinarian. The owner or keeper shall maintain all sterilization records, including the type of animal sterilized, the name of the veterinarian performing the procedure, and the date the sterilization was performed.

    (F)

    The animal shall be implanted with an electronic microchip from a manufacturer approved by the Animal Regulation Officer. The implantation must be performed by a licensed veterinarian and must conform to procedures recommended by the manufacturer. The owner or keeper shall register the microchip number in a national database in accordance with instructions from the manufacturer, and shall provide the number to the Animal Control Officer.

    (G)

    The owner or keeper shall obtain and maintain in effect a policy of liability insurance in the amount of not less than fifty thousand dollars insuring against possible injuries inflicted by the dangerous animal. The liability insurance shall be maintained in effect as long as the owner or keeper maintains possession of the dangerous animal.

    (H)

    The owner of a dangerous animal may not sell, relocate or give away the animal without first obtaining prior written approval from an Animal Control Officer. If such a transaction is approved, the owner or transferee shall pay a nonrefundable inspection fee of fifty dollars for inspection of the new location for the animal. The owner or transferee shall also have the national microchip number updated in the national database to reflect the change in ownership, and shall provide evidence of the update to the Animal Control Officer.

(Ord. 5497 § 3, 2002: Ord. 5220 § 26, 2000: Ord. 3618 § 85, 1991)