Article 420 Dogs
Section 420.010
Definitions.
A.
“At Large”.....means off the premises of the owner and not under the control of
the owner or a member of the immediate family, either by leash of otherwise.
B.
“Dogs”.....shall include both male and female over six (6) months of age, except
as otherwise herein specifically mentioned.
C.
“Exposed to Rabies”.....shall mean having been bitten by, fought or come into
contact with an animal affected with rabies.
D.
“Owner”.....means any person, firm or corporation owning, harboring or keeping
a dog.
“Rabies”.....shall mean hydrophobia.
E.
F.
“Affected with Rabies”.....shall mean manifesting any of the characteristic
symptoms of rabies as described in any standard medical textbook that deals with
the subject.
G.
“Puppies”.....shall mean any dog, either male or female, under the age of six (6)
months.
Section 420.020
Restrictions on Number of Dogs on Premises.
It shall be unlawful for any person or persons to keep on their premises more than two (2)
dogs or two (2) puppies, or any combination of dogs or puppies that exceed two (2).
Section 420.030
Barking Dogs.
It shall be unlawful for any person or persons to keep on their premises any dogs or
puppies that continue to make loud barking, yapping or howling noise, and the keeping of
said animal or animals who, by frequent or long continuing noise such as barking,
yapping or howling, shall disturb the comfort or repose of any person in the vicinity, shall
be guilty of an ordinance violation.
Section 420.040
Concealing Animals.
It shall be an ordinance violation for any person to conceal an animal or animals.
Section 420.050
Dogs on Leash.
The restrictions imposed in Section 420.120, shall not prohibit the appearance of any dog
upon the streets or public places, if the dog is on a leash and is kept under the control of
the accompanying person.
Section 420.060
Female Dogs to be Confined.
All female dogs will be kept securely confined in an enclosed place while in heat.
Section 420.070
Fierce or Dangerous Dogs.
Any person or keeper of any fierce or dangerous dog or dogs, whether licensed or not, in
the habit of fighting on the streets of the City or of such disposition or character as to
annoy persons upon the streets of the City, shall be deemed guilty of an ordinance
violation.
Section 420.075
Aggressive Dogs Keep n Kennel.
Adopted 06/02/2003
Any owner or keeper of a dog or dogs with aggressive tendencies shall keep such animal
penned in a kennel designed to keep them fully within their keeper’s property line.
Section 420.080
Interference with the Dog Pound or Officers.
It is unlawful for any unauthorized person to break open the pound or to attempt to do so,
or to take or let out any dogs therefrom, or to take or attempt to take from any officer any
dog taken up by him in compliance with this Article or in any manner to interfere with or
hinder such officer in the discharge of his duties under this Article.
Section 420.090
Dog Litters.
In the event a bitch shall have a litter of puppies on any premise in the City, not licensed
as a kennel, the puppies shall be weaned and removed from the premise not later than
eight (8) weeks from the date of birth.
Section 420.100
Quarantine of Dogs.
Owners or keepers of a dog or dogs which have bitten a person, or which acts in a
suspicious manner suggesting rabies, or is viciously inclined, either outside or within his
or her respective family, either on the public streets or any private property, shall, upon
receipt of written notice from the proper authorities, impound and quarantine the dog or
dogs for a period of ten (10) days for rabies observation, and the dog or dogs impounded
shall be kept in such a manner that neither human beings nor animals can be bitten during
such period of observation.
Section 420.110
Dogs Running at Large.
The running at large by dogs is prohibited. No dog shall be permitted to run at large
within the limits of this City.
Section 420.120
Dog License Fee.
No dog owner shall keep any dog within the City after the first day of June, unless a
license therefor has been first secured. Licenses shall be issued by the City Clerk for a fee
of fifteen dollars ($15.00) for each male or spayed female dog and thirty dollars ($30.00)
for each unspayed female dog. Every application for a license shall be accompanied by a
certificate from a qualified veterinarian showing that the dog to be licensed has been
given a vaccination against rabies in compliance with this Article. An application for a
license for a spayed female dog shall contain a statement from a qualified veterinarian
indicating that the dog has been spayed and giving the date of the operation. Licenses
shall expire on the thirty-first (31) day of May next following their issuance.
Section 420.130
Vaccination of Dogs.
No license shall be granted for a dog which has not been vaccinated against rabies as
provided in this Article during the ninety (90) day period preceding the making of an
application for such license except that when a dog is first licensed for an entire year
hereafter, the license may be issued if the dog has been vaccinated within a period of six
(6) months preceding the application for a license. Vaccination shall be performed only
by a doctor qualified to practice veterinary medicine in the State in which the dog is
vaccinated. A veterinarian who vaccinated a dog to be licensed in this City shall complete
in duplicate a certificate of vaccination. One copy shall be issued to the dog owner for
affixing to the license application, and one copy shall be retained in the veterinarian’s
files.
Section 420.140
Dog Licenses’ Term.
It shall be the duty of each owner of a dog to pay the license fee imposed in Section
420.120, to the City Clerk on or before the first day of June in each year, or upon
acquiring ownership or possession of any unlicenced dog or upon establishing residence
in the City. The City Clerk shall cause a notice of the necessity of paying such license fee
to be printed in the official paper, one (1) time before the first day of June in each year.
Section 420.150
Receipts and Dog Tags.
Upon payment of the license fee, the City Clerk shall execute a receipt in duplicate, the
original receipt going to the person who pays the fee with the duplicate retained by the
City Clerk. The City Clerk shall procure a sufficient number of suitable metallic tags, the
shape of which shall be different from license year to license year, and an appropriate tag
shall be given to the owner when the fee is paid.
Section 420.160
Affixing Dog Tags.
The dog owner shall cause the tag to be affixed by a permanent metal fastening to the
collar of the dog so licensed in such a manner that the tag may be easily seen by the
officers of the City. The owner shall see that the tag is constantly worn by such dog.
Section 420.170
Duplicate Dog Tags.
In case any dog tag is lost, a duplicate may be issued by the City Clerk upon presentation
of a receipt showing the payment of the license fee for the current year. A charge of five
dollars ($5.00) shall be made for each duplicate tag.
Section 420.180
Dog Tags are Not Transferable or Refundable.
Dog tags are not transferable and no refunds shall be made on any dog license fee
because of leaving the City or death of the dog before the expiration of the license period.
Section 420.190
Establishment of a Dog Pound.
The Police Chief shall be the Poundmaster and shall attend to the maintenance of such
pound, unless contracted outside the City limits. He will present a proper claim to the
City Council monthly for the necessary expenses which he may incur in so doing, and
which claim, if allowed by the City Council, shall be paid by the City Clerk.
Section 420.200
Impoundment of Dogs.
Unlicenced dogs, or dogs found running at large shall be taken up by an officer of the
Police Department, and impounded in the shelter designated as the City Pound, and there
confined in a humane manner for a period of not less than five (5) days, and may
thereafter be disposed of in a humane manner if not claimed by their owners. Dogs not
claimed by their owners before the expiration of five (5) days, shall become the property
of the City and disposed of at the discretion of the City, except as hereinafter provided in
the case of certain dogs. To enforce this Section said officers are empowered to enter
upon any private premises where they have reasonable grounds to believe there is an
unlicenced dog.
Section 420.210
Impoundment when Ownership is Known.
When dogs are found running at large or are unlicenced, and their ownership is known to
the Poundmaster, such dogs need not be impounded, but the Poundmaster may, in his
discretion, cite the owners of such dogs to appear in court to answer to charges of
violations of this Article.
Section 420.220
Dog Impoundment Notice.
Immediately upon impounding dogs, the Police Department shall give notice of the
impounding to the owner of such dog, if known. In case the owner is unknown, such
officer shall post notice at the Pound and at the City Hall that if the dog is not claimed
within five (5) days of the posting of the notice, the dog will be disposed of in a humane
manner.
Section 420.230
Redemption from Dog Pound.
Any dog may be redeemed from the Pound by the owner within the time stated in the
notice by the payment to the City Clerk of the license fee for the current year with an
impounding fee of twenty dollars ($20.00) plus two dollars ($2.00) per day for each day
the dog is confined in the Pound as the cost of feeding.
Section 420.240
Release from Dog Pound.
Upon the presentation of a current license tag and a receipt for a dog license for the
current year and for the fees provided in Section.420.230, the Poundmaster shall release
to any owner the dog claimed by him.
Section 420.250
Disposition of Unclaimed Dogs.
Any dog which is not claimed as provided in Section 420.240, within five (5) days after
impounding, may be sold for not less than the amount provided in Section 420.240, to
anyone desiring to purchase the dog. All sums received above the costs and tax shall be
held by the City Clerk f or the benefit of the owner and if not claimed in one (1) year,
such funds shall be placed in the general fund of the City. Any dog which is not claimed
by the owner or sold shall be painlessly killed and buried by the Poundmaster.
Section 425.010
Regulation Feral and Pet Cats
Adopted 01/10/06 Ordnance 0601
1.
It is declared a nuisance for any person or persons within the municipal
boundaries of the City of Hawk Point to have, maintain, or provide shelter for
more than two (2) feral adult cats per residence.
2.
Any person having, maintaining, or providing shelter to more than two (2) feral
adult cats, is guilty of a misdemeanor.
3.
The City of Hawk Point may use reasonable means to trap or capture feral cats.
4.
Household cats kept as pets are not to exceed two (2) adults in number, and such
pets shall receive adequate food, shelter, and veterinary care, and shall be
inoculated against feline distemper and rabies prior to reaching one (1) year in
age, and registered with the City of Hawk Point in the same manner provided in
the municipal code applying to canines.
5.
Any person failing to register household cats is guilty of an ordinance violation.
6.
A “feral” cat is defined as a wild or untamed feline that is not registered with the
City of Hawk Point.
7.
A cat is considered an adult when it has reached one (1) year of age or its adult
size.