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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Regulating Dogs and Cats, Repealing Ordinance 695 TEMP. ORDINANCE NO. 45 PERMANENT ORD. NO. 795 AN ORDINANCE REGULATING THE KEEPING OF DOGS AND CATS IN THE CITY OF AMES, IOWA PROVIDING FOR THE CBSERVATION UNDER CONFINFa:--:,.1 MENT OF BITINS, DOGS, AND SPECIAL PROVISIONS FOR THE CONTROL OF RABIES, PRESCRIBING PENALTIES FOR THE VIOLATION HEREOF AND i REPEALING ORDINANCE NO. 695 AND ALL OTHER ORDINANCES OR PARTS OF ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT HEREWITH. BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITYOF AMES, IOWA: Section 1. Definitions. The Following definitions shall apply in the interpretation and enforcement of this ordinance. Section 1. 1. Dog. Dog includes all domesticated members of the Carris familaris species, male or female, whether altered or not. Section 1. 2. Cat. Cat includes all members of the Felis dome stica species, male or female, whether altered or not. Section 1. 3. Owner. Owner includes any per s on, firm, or corporation owning, harboring, sheltering or keeping a dog or cat. Section 1. 4. At Large. At large includes any dog or cat off the premises of its owner or upon the public streets, alleys, public grounds, school grounds or parks, within the city of Ames, Iowa. A dog shall not be deemed at large if: (a) It is attached to a leash of sufficient strength to restrain the dog and not more than ten (10) feet in length, where said leashis held by a person competent to govern the dog; or (b) When properly restrained within a motor vehicle or housed in an animal hospital approved by the city sanitarian. Section 2. Unlicensed Dogs. It shall be unlawful for any owner to own, possess or harbor a dog in the city of Ames without having obtained a license therefor in compliance with the provisions of this ordinance as hereinafter set forth, except that a license shall not be required for doo'under the age of three (3) months which are confined to the owner's premises. Section 3. Assessor to Issue License. The city assessor shall issue dog licenses upon due applicatinn, the presentation of a certificate of rabies vaccination from a licensed veterinarian dated not more than sixty(60) days prior to application, and the payment of the license fee. Sectio n 4. Application for License. The owner shall file application for license with the city a s se s s or. This application shall include the name and address of the owner and the breed, sex and description of dog. The license must be secured by January 1 of each year or at the ti-ne a dog comes into possession or ownership, or has reached the age ofthree (3) months after said date. Section 5. License Fee. The individual license fee shall be one dollar fifty cents ($1. 50) per calendar year or fraction thereof. The head of the family shall be liable for payment of the license fee on any dog owned, harbored or kept by any member_ of the family. Section 6. License Tag. The licensee, upon procurement of the license, shall securely attach the license tag to a collar or harness, and this collar or harness with the license tag attached shallat all times be kept on the dog for which the license is issued. Any dog found without a collar or harness to whic a valid license tag is attached shall be deemed unlicensed and shall be impound`d:'_, Section 7. Harboring Vicious Dog. It shall be unlawful for any per son to harbor Y or keep a vicious dog within the city of Ames. A dog is deemed to be vicious when it shall have attacked or bitten any person (without provocation), or when propensity to attack or bite persons shall exist and is known or ought reasonably to be known by the owner. Section 8. Impounding. Any dog found at large as herein defined without proper license from the city of Ames, shall be subject to seizure and impoundment in a place provided by the ci.tyPf Ames. Section 9. Repossession. The possession of any licensed dog so seized or impounded may be obtained by the owner upon payment to the cityclerk of the sum of two dollars ($2. 00) a daily fee of fifty cents ($. 5,0) for keeping such dog for each day or fraction thereof during which said dog has been impounded and upon proper identification of said dog. The possession of any unlicensed dog may be obtained by the owner after obtaining a license and paying the fees provided herein. Section 10. Disposal. Any dog not reclaimed by the owner within three (3) days maybe disposed of as prescribed by the city sanitarian. Section 11. Dogs or Cats ?disturbing the Peace. It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation keeping, owning or sheltering a dog or cat to allow or permit such animal topass upon the premises of another causing damage or annoyance or otherwise interfering with the premises, orwhich by frequent and habitual howling, yelping, barking or otherwise causes serious annoyance or disturbance to persons or to the neighborhood. No person shall be convicted under the provisions of this section except upon evidence of two (2) or more persons of different households. Section 12. Female Dogs in Season. It shall be unlawful for any owner to allow his female dog that is in season to run at large or to so confine her as to attract male dogs to the area and by their presence cause a nuisance. An person violating the provisions of this section shall be punished as provided in this ordinance and the dog shall ebre.mainder of the heat periodbject to seizure and oundment at the expense of the owner, dursno Section 13. Rabies. All dogs and cats three (3) months or more of age shall be vaccinated for rabies by a licensed veterinarian. A current rabies vaccination tag attached to the animals collar or harness shall be accepted as evidence of vaccination. Section 13. 1. Quarantine Period. The owner of any dog or cat which has contracted rabies, or which has been subject to the same, or which is suspected of having rabies, or which shall have bitten any per son, shall upon tyof Ames demand of the chief of police or city sanitarian to be heldlin quarantine force and surrender up such dog or cat to such officer observation for a period determined by the city sanitarian at the expense of the owner of such animal. Section 13. 2. Confining Instead of Impounding. At the discretion of the city sanitarian it maybe permissible for thThe term owner properly confined shall dog or cat instead of having it impounded. properly be construed.to include: (a) Chaining or pering at home if the animal be otli�r animal mal or etas or wood barrier as to prevent the intimate approach of any person. (b) Confinement in an animal hospital under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian. Section 13. 3. Disposal of Infected Anim al. If, upon examination by a veterinarian any dog or cat shall prove infected with rabies, such dog or cat shall be disposed of as directed by the city sanitarian. It shall be the duty of said veterinarian to notify the city sanitarian of any positive rabies cases found, without delay. Section 13. 4. Animals Bitten to be Quarantined. .Any animal bitten or attacked by any known rabid animal, shall be quarantined under supervision of the city sanitarian by being confined, as herein provided for a period of not less than ninety (90) days. Section 13. 5. Failure to Report Infected Animals. Anyper son who shall knowingly harbor or keep any dog or cat infected with rabies, or any dog or cat known to have been bitten by a rabid animal or who shall fail to report to the police or city sanitarian, the existence of a dog or cat which he knows to be so infected or who shall fail to produce or surrender up any dog or cat pursuant to section 13. 1 hereof shall be punished as provided in this ordinance. Section 13. 6. Notice Regarding Dead Dogs and Cats. Any person finding a dead dog or cat shall at once notify the police department. Upon receipt of such notice the dead dog or cat will be picked up and delivered to the Iowa veterinary diagnostic laboratory to be checked for rabies. Section 14. Control of Rabies Outbreak. The provisions of sections 14. 14 14. 2 and 14. 3 shall be nonfunctioning until such time as the city board of health by resolution shall declare a state of emergency, due to rabies, exists and the city council shall by resolution make such action effective. Section 14. 1. Unlawful to Allow Animal at Large. It shall be unlawful for the owner of any dog or cat to permit or suffer such dog or cat to be at large. Any dog or cat found at large shall be deemed to be so with the permission or at the sufferance of its owner. Section 14.2. Enabling Animals to Leave Private Premises. It shall be unlawful for any per son except the owner or his agent to open any door or gate of any/private premises, or to otherwise entice or enable any dog or cat to leave any private premises, for the purpose of or with the result of setting such dog or cat at large. Section 14, 3. Animals to be Impounded. Any dog or cat found at large shall be impounded by the police department whether licensed or not. Section 15. Enforcement Provisions. The city manager shall appoint an enforcement agent who shall be under the supervision and direction of the city sanitarian and shall perform the services incident to the impounding and disposition of animals as herein provided. Said enforcement officer may be on a part time basis and to facilitate his work he may be appcinted as a special police officer. He shall not, hovFver , be eligible to participate in the health and retirement program of the police department, unless he is already a qualified member of said department. Section 16. Unconstitutionality Clausc. Should any section, paragraph, sentence, clause or phrase of this ordiancebe declared unconstitutional or invalid for any reason, the remainder of said ordinance shall not be affected thereby. Section 17. Penalty. Any person violating anyprovisions of this ordinan e shall upon conviction be fined a sum not exceeding one hundred dollars ($100. 00 , or confined in jail for a term not exceeding thirty(30) days. Section 18. Repeal. Ordinances No. 695, 747 and all other ordinances or parts of ordinaices in conflict herewith are hereby repealed. Section 19. This ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage and publication as provided by law. Passed this 29th day of March, 1955. J. W. rather, CityCler-l- J. P. Lawlor, Mayor Moved by Smith and seconded by Judge that Ordinance No. 795 be passed on its first reading. Voting Aye: %Griffith, Judge, Smith, Bolton and Bliss Voting Nay: None Absat: De Hart Moved by Judge and seconded by Srrith that the rules governing the passage of ordinances be suspended, the second and third readings omitted and Ordinance No. 795 be placed on its final passage. Voting Aye: Griffith, Judge, Smith, Bolton and Bliss Voting Nay: None Absent: De Hart Moved by Bolton and seconded by Smith that Ordinance No, 795 do now pass. Voting Aye: Griffith, Judge, Smth, Bolton and Bliss Voting Nay: None Absent: De Hart Mayor Lawlor declared Ordinance No. 795 duly adopted. I, J. W. Prather, City Clerk of the City of Ames, Iowa, do hereby certify that the above Ordinance No. 795 was duly and properly passed at a meeting of the City Council o�/ the 29th day of March, 1955 and published by codifying on the day of C,G�tz" —, 19 `r �J J.�W. Prather, City Clerk