Fort Walton Beach Ordinance — 335 - Create Animal Control — reading text

ORDINANCE 335 AN ORDINANCE DarTNING Titahic USED IN PROVIDING FOR ANTAL CONTROL wITHIN THe CLIPY OF FORT waLVON BEACH, FLORIDA; PROVIDING FOR THs LICaNSING aND VACCINATING OF aLL DOGS, AS DEFINSD HinsIN; SSTPING FBS AND FROCHDURES FOR SUCH LICENSE AND VACCINATION; Rai UIRING THs WEANING OF TaGs BY ALL DOGS AS DEFINED HikHEIN 45 uVIDENCE OF SAID LICshox AND VACCINaTION; PRaSCRIBING PROCEDURES POR THa DTNPOUNDING AND RaDakPTION OF DOGS FOUND IN ViOLaTION HirniwiPTHs Du- CReSING TREAT DOGS HAY NOY RUN al LarkGiss PROHIBITING NUISadCn aND VICIOUS bOGS; DISALLOWING bOGS CN PUBLIC BisaCHis; PRO- VIDING FOR CONPINGHENT OF SUSPaCPED RABID DOGS; PROVIDING FOR RsPORTING Of aLL DOG BITES aND PH. CONFINshaNT OF DOGS HAVING BITPHN A PERSON Ok ANOTHER sNTiieL; -PRORIBITING CHUBLTY TO ANTMALS; NAMING PLAYGROUND HUMANE SOCIETY As ENFORCING AGENT OF GHIS ORDINaNCI: UNDER THs SUPSAVIcION OF THs CITY DIRECTOR Of PUBLIC SAPETY; DelUTIZING THE HUMANS OFFICER; PROVIDING PENAL? SS POR VIOLaATION; Rie PRALING CONFLICTING ORDINANCES, AND PROVIDING FOR AN aFFSCTIVaG Dati Be IT OkDAINED BY THe CITY COUNCIL OF THs CIPY OF FORT waLTOh BSaCiH, FLOnIDA, ssCTION 1: Definitions Whenever used, unless a contrary intention is clearly evident, the following terms shall be interpreted as herein defined: (4) The term "dog" shall mean and include all members of the canine family, three (4) months or more of age, and, also, pet cats, foxes, monkeys, raccoons, etc., and shall also be construed to mean male, female or altered. (8) The term “owner't shall mean and include any person having a right of property in the dogs, or who keeps or harbors a dog, or who has it in care, or acts as its custodian or who permits a dog to remain on or about any premises occupied or controlled by him. (C) he term "vaccination against rabies" shall mean the injection of a canine anti-rabies vaccine approved by the State Veterinarian and administered in an amount and manner approved by the state Board of tlealth. (D) The term "at-large" shall mean being outside an enclosure or unaccompanied by owner. (2) The tern "stray dog" shall mean not wearing tass evidencing licensing and inocculation. SECTION 2: License - Required; Duration; renewal. It shail be unlawful for any person to own, keep, maintain or harbor any dog three months of age or more within the corporate limits without first having obtained therefor a license as herein provided, which shall be evidenced by Page 2 Ordinance 435 a tag as hereinafter set forth. such license shall be for the term and period from January first to December 41st of each year and shall be renewed annually. SECTION : License ~- Fee; Records; Prorating. A fee of two dollars and twenty-five cents (2.25) shall be paid to the licensing authority for each dog, either male, female or altered. ouch license is a net amount and shall be paid for any full year or portion thereof. The licensing authority shall record the name, breed, color and sex of such dog so licensed, together with the name and address of the owner. This record shall be filed in the office of the City Clerk. SaCTION 4: License - Tag; Issuance; wearing, duplicates. At the time of licensing, the licensing authority shall furnish a colored metal tag which must be securely fastened to a collar or harness and worn at all times by the dog for which the license was issued. said tag shall bear the name of the City of Fort Walton Beach and the number of the License issued for such dog for the current year. Upon proof that a license tag has been lost, the licensing authority snall issue a duplicate license tag upon payment of twenty-five cents (254). SHOLION : Vaccination nequired Prior to January first of each year, every owner of a dog shall cause such dog to be vaccinated against rabies by a licensed veterinarian. usvidence of a vaccination shall consist of a certificate signed by the person administer- ing the vaccine. This certificate shall state the kind, name, color and mark- ings of the dog so vaccinated, the date of its vaccination and the name and address of the owner of the dog. such certificate shall be issued in triplicate, one copy being given to the owner, one filed with the City Clerk and one retained by the person administering the vaccine. SECTICN 6: Impounding of Unlicensed Dogs It shall be the duty of the Humane Officer to impound all dogs found running at large in violation of the provisions of this ordinance. when so impounded, the animal shall be held for at least three (4) days but not more than seven (7) days during which the owner shall be notified if possible. Within this period, the animal may be released to the owner following the provisions of section 7 herein. Page 3 Ordinance 345 paCTiON Disposal of Dogs Prescribed All dogs impounded under the provisions of this ordinance, due notice of which shall have been given to the owner, shall be disposed of or humanely dispatched when not redeemed within the period specified. Impounded dogs, unclaimed by the owner, can be redeemed by any reputable person providing the owner fails to re- deem the animal. The Humane vociety shall have the privilege of dispatching un- redeemed dogs if it so elects. Impounded dogs can be redeemed only by the payment to the shelter attendant of the vaccination fee, »2.25 registration fee and board at 91.00 per day for the period during which the animal was impounded. The Shelter Attendant shall notify the licensing authority by telenhone that the bill for board has been satisfied and that full vaccination and registration fees have been paid. Upon receipt of this notification, the licensed veterinarian shall proceed with the vaccinating of the animal so redeemed. Registration and vaccination fees received by the shelter Attendant shall be totaled and for- warded to the vaccinating and licensing authority at the end of each calendar month. It shall be unlawful for any pound or receiving station, public or private, to five, sell or otherwise dispose of any dog except by humane distruction or when redeemed by the owner, during a period when the City of Fort Walton Beach is designated as a rabies infected area. This provision does not apply to dog kennels which regularly breed, raise, board and sell dogs and cats. No impounded dog suffering from internal or external disease may be redeemed from the Humane shelter until such redemption has been approved by a licensed veterinarian. SECTION 8: Dogs kunning at Large; In Public Places It shall be unlawful for the owner of any dog to permit such dog to run at large within the corporate limits of the City of Fort walton Beach after the effective date of this ordinance. Wo dog, whetner licensed or unlicensed, muzzled or unmuzzled, shall be allowed in public places, such as railroad stations, hotels, restaurants, theatres, public conveyances or similar places, or in grocery stores or other establishments selling food or staple goods, Frage 4 Ordinance 435 unless on @ suitable and dependable leash. Dogs so found shall be impounded. SECTION 9: Nuisance Dogs; Vicious Dogs; Penalty: Damaging rroperty of Another It shall be unlawful ‘for any person, firm or corporation to keep, harbor or own a dog or dogs which by loud and frequent or habitual barking, yelping or howling or by constant or frequent threat of attacking and biting shall cause annoyance to the neighborhood, or to people passing upon the street. It shall be unlawful for any owner to keep any vicious dog except within a suitable fenced enclosure. #ach day that a violation of this section shail continue shall be considered a separate offense and may be punishable as such. It shall be unlawful for any person who shall own or be in control or charge of any dog to allow or permit such dog to wander or stray upon the property of another and damage such property. oeCTIOn 10: Public Beaches It shall be unlawful for any verson to take any dog, whether leashed or unleashed, upon the public beaches, or to permit any dog to run at large upon the public beaches or in any swimming area within the City of “ort walton beach. SECTION 11: Confinement of Bitten or Suspected Kabid vogs The owner of any dog, whether vaccinated or not, which dog has been bitten by another animal, or which exhibits symptoms suggestive of rabies, shall immediately notify the Okaloosa County Public Health Ufficer and the humane Officer. said dog: shall be confined under suitable observation for a period of ninety (90) days or until officially released by the County Public Health Officer. SECTION 12: HKeport and Confinement of suspected Dogs Veterinarians, physicians, dog owners, or any other person havin; knowledge that any animals or persons h:ve been bitten by a dos suspected of being rabid shall report same immediately to th> Okaloosa County Public Health Officer and the Humane Officer. ‘The suspected doz shall be confined in suitable and adecuate quarters for a period of fourteen (14) days to maintain quarantine, or until the County Health Officer authorizes its release. iny expense incurred in handling the dog during this period shall be borne by the owner. seC PION 14: Cruelty It shall be unlawful for any person to be cruel to a doz by beating, torturing, mutilating or clearly feiling to provide food, drink or shelter, or by abandoning. It shall be unlawful for any person who shall knowingly have struck a dog or dogs by a vehicle under his control to fail to render first Page 5 Crdinance 4455 aid to such dog or dogs by taking it or them to a veterinarian or by notifying either the owner, Humane Cfficer or the rolice. SSCPION 14: Playground Humane Society named as inforcing agents; Supervision by City Director of Public safety and the City Health Cfficer; Humane Officer Deputized; Cancellation of Agreement Under suitable agreement, animal control within the City of #ort walton Beach is hereby delegated to the Playground Humane Society who shall be responsible for the enforcement of the provisions of this ordinance under the supervision and control of the City Director of Public safety and the City Health Officer. The Playground Humane Lociety snall provide and maintain a safe, sanitary and suitable shelter for the impounding of all dogs running at large in the City in violation of the provisions of this ordinance. ‘the Humane Officer or Officers, employed by the Playyround Humane society, shall answer ail dog com- plaints and shall be deputized so that he, or they, may legally enforce the provisions of this ordinance. If at any time, the Jirector of Public scafety shall determine that the Play- ground Humane vociety is derelict in the enforcement of the provisions of this ordinance and upon receipt of substantiating evidence of such dereliction the agreement between the City of Fort walton Beach and the Playground ttumane vcociety may be cancelled upon 30 days' notice, and other means oF animal control shall be instituted. nECLION 15: Penalties The owner of any dog found running at large and not wearing evidence of licensing and vaccination and for which no approved certificate of vaccination and license can be produced or who shall violate any other provision of this ordinance shall be subject to a penalty of not more than twenty-five dollars (25.00) upon con= viction, in addition to fees as prescribed for vaccination and licensing, if applicable, or by imprisonment not exceeding thirty (40) days. siCilON 163: Repealing Conflicting Ordinances Ordinance 224, and all other ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict here- with, are hereby repealed. SECLION 17: Whis ordinance shall take effect thirty (30) days after its passage and approval by the hayor. soorten (fy LE E/ | f wrewovan OW tafons : eX / Meo & / deaes LZ VAS Vi