§ 6.08.010. Living conditions.

A.

Care of Animals. No owner or harborer of animals shall fail to provide his animal with sufficient good and wholesome food and water, proper shelter and protection from the weather, veterinary care when needed to prevent suffering, and with humane care and treatment. No person shall leave an animal in a vehicle without proper ventilation during hot weather or without proper warmth during cold weather. Persons shall not leave animals without proper shelter during inclement weather.

B.

Abandonment of Animals. It is unlawful for any person to abandon any animal within the city. Owners of unwanted animals may release animals to the animal shelter for adoption, or to be destroyed in a humane fashion in compliance with this chapter.

C.

Physical Abuse. It is unlawful for any person to wilfully or maliciously kill, maim, disfigure, torture, beat, mutilate, burn, scald or otherwise cruelly set upon any animal, except that reasonable force may be employed to drive off vicious or trespassing animals.

D.

Animal Poisoning. It is unlawful for any person to make accessible to any animal, with the intent of harming or killing the animal, a substance which has been treated or prepared with a harmful or poisonous material.

E.

Uncared for Animals. Whenever animal control finds that an animal is or will be without proper care because of injury, illness, incarceration or other absence of the owner of such animal, animal control may take up such animal for protective care. While the animal is in protective care, upon the advice of a licensed veterinarian, animal control may take such action as necessary to prevent undue pain and suffering to the animal, including the humane destruction of the animal. If an animal remains in protective care for six days, animal control may place the animal for adoption, or otherwise dispose of it in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. All care will be at the expense of the owner, if known.

F.

Injury to Animals by Motorists. Any motor vehicle operator who strikes any animal shall immediately give first aid to the animal as is reasonably possible and shall immediately notify animal control. The operator shall immediately notify the owner, or in the absence of the owner, animal control. The operator shall remain at or near the scene until such time as the owner or animal control arrives. In case of severe emergency to the animal, a person may give aid by taking the animal to a veterinary hospital or the animal control facility.

G.

Keeping of Sick or Diseased Animals. It is unlawful for any person to keep any animal which is seriously sick or injured and not provide proper veterinary care for said animal. Animal control may impound and humanely destroy sick or injured animals in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, without giving notice as provided in the impound section of this chapter. The animal shall be immediately and humanely destroyed, if at the discretion of the animal control supervisor, the animal's condition is a threat to other animals or to the public welfare.

H.

Notification of Impounded Animals. Upon the impounding of any animal, it shall be the duty of the animal control supervisor or other animal control personnel to notify the owner if the owner is known or can be learned from a vaccination tag or other form of identification. Such notice shall be by the most practical means appropriate in each instance.

(Ord. 1441-93 § 2(A)(part), 1993: Ord. 1084-77 § 6(1)(part), 1977).