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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11122M rn M °i O N � O M L a N Ln N 0) N O N V r-1 ri, U IQ zx� v ra 1 ORDINANCE NO. 113122 AN ORDINANCE PHESCAIBING CERTAIN RULES AND REGULATIONS h-ITH RESPECT TO THE CARE AND KEEPING OF DOGS _vIITHIN THE CITY OF LITTLE ROCK; REQUIRING DOGS TO BE PLACED ON LEASH '�iHEN NOT CONFINED -WITHIN A YARD, BUILDING, OR OTHER. ENCLOSURE: MAKING PROVISIONS FOR VICIOUS DOGS, PROVIDING FOR THE VACCINATION AND LICENSING OF DOGS AND PROVIDING FOR THE KEEPING OF DOGS PICKED UP BY THE ANI%AL CONTROL WORKER AND PROVIDING A PENALTY; PROVIDING FOR THE SUBMISSION OF THIS ORDINANCE TO POPULAR VOTE, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. BE IT ORDAINED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE CITY OF LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS: SECTION 1. Definitions- The following words and phrases shall for purposes of this ordinance have the following meanings ;: a. DOGS- When used herein shall include animals of all ages, both female and male, which are members of the canine, or dog family. b. 0'64very person, firm, partnership or corporation, owning, keep-iiag or_ harbouring a dog within the corporate limits of the city. C* AT IARGE- Any dog not confined to the premises of the owner or within a house or other building or enclosure or restrained on the premises of the owner by a leash sufficiently strong to prevent the dog from escaping and restricting the dog to the premises, or not confined by leash or confined within an auto- mobile when away from the premises of the owner. d. VACCINATION.1. An injection of any vaccine for rabies approved by the State Veterinarian and administered by a licensed veterinarian or agent of the Health Officer. e. VICIOUS DOG- A dog which has a disposition to bite humans and any dog which has bitten or attempted to bite any person within the six months immediately past; however, the fact that a dog has bitten or attempted to bite some person when that person was teasing the dog shall not constitute the dog a vicious dog within the sense of this ordinance. f. MUZZLE - When required by this ordinance, a muzzle shall be of appropriate material with sufficient strength to restrain the dog from biting and no such muzzle employed shall be made from any material or maintained on the dog in any manner so as to cut or injure the dog. g. HEALTH OFFICER- The Director of Public Health of the City of Little Rock, Arkansas, or his duly authorized agent. h. COLLECTOR_ The City Revenue Collector, or his duly authorized agent. SECTION 2. Vicious Dols- It shall hereafter be 'unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to keep within the corporate limits of the city any vicious dog unless the said dog is muzzled or confined in a pen or tied in such a manner that he cannot bite mail carriers, delivery men or other licensees or invitees coming onto the premises. 000-/% M - 2 - SR;TION 3. Number of Dom- it shall hereafter be unlawful for any person, f irm or corporation to own, keep or harbour more than four dogs over six months old within the corporate limits of the city, except that this provision shall not apply to proprietors of dog hospitals and veteri- narians when such dogs are kept upon premises used by such dog hospital and veterinarians as their normal place of business. Keeping, on the premises of the owner, of more than four dogs shall be prima facie evidence of violation of this section, and the burden of proof shall be on the owner to show the ages of such dogs. SEuTION 4. a. Li_ ense Fee- It shall hereafter be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to own, keep or harbour a dog within the cor- porate limits of the city, without having first paid to the U ollector, an annual license fee of Three Dollars ($3.00) each on all dogs six months of age or over. b. When Payable- The license tax required by this section shall be due and payable on or before June lst of each year and when paid shall be effective for the ensuing year ending on the following May 31st. c. PoZ Tag- Upon payment of the license tax required by this section it shall be the duty of the collector to furnish the owner of the dog with a metal tag of distinctive design, on one side of which shall be stamped the words, "TAX PAID", the year for which the same is paid, and the serial number of the dog. Every dog covered by this ordinance must have and wear a collar of such type that the city license tag may be firmly attached to said collar. Such tag, when issued, shall at all times be securely attached to the dog's collar or harness, and failure to keep such tag on the dogts collar shall be unlawful. SECTION 5. Vaccination- All dogs within the corporate limits of the city of Little Rock six months of age or over shall be vaccinated and licensed and the license fee referred to above paid. Vaccination and licenses may be obtained at the Dog Pound of the city of Little Rock for the fee set out in Section 4 a, of this ordinance. If vaccination is requested at the place where the dog or dogs are.kept or at some place other than at the Dog Pound of the city of Little Rock, a fee of One Dollar ($1.00) shall be paid, in addition to I the fee prescribed in Section !}a of this ordinance. In the event of vacci- nation by a qualified veterinarian, the license fee shall be as provided in Section 4a, but satisfactory proof of such vaccination must be made to the Collector before the license shall issue. SECTION 6. Confinement of Dogs- From and after the passage of this ordinance, any person owning, possessing, or keeping a dog or dogs, whether vaccinated or unvaccinated, licensed or unlicensed, shall confine such dog or dogs within an adequate fence or enclosure, or within a house, garage, or other building, or shall confine such dog or dogs by a chain or leash affixed to the dog's collar and attached to some substantial stationary object adequate to prevent the dog or dogs from running at large. SECTION 7, Confinement Other Than on Premises of Owner- At all tunes when not confined as stated in Section 6, the owner of any dog or dogs shall confine such dog or dogs within an automobile or by having one end of a rope or leash affixed to substantial stationary object, or held by some person competent to control such dog or dogs. SECTION 8. Running at Large- No person owning, possessing or keeping a dog shall allow the same to run at large within the City of Little Rock. SECTION 9. Impounding of Dogs, Destroying of Dogs- The animal control workers of the City of Little Rock, shall take into custody any dog found at large in the City of Little Rock, and shall impound the dog in the city dog pound or such other place as such animal control workers may designate for purpose of impoundment. Such impounded dog shall be held for a period of ten (10) days at the end of which time the dog shall be destroyed unless custody of said dog is released prior thereto under the following conditions. During the first six (6) days of such impoundment the animal control workers of the City of Little Rock, shall make dil9.gent effort to determine the owner of such dog and notify him of such impoundment. If the owner of such dog fails or refuses to claim and repossess such dog by the payment of the proper fee as prescribed herein within the first six (6) days of such impoundment then the animal control workers of the City of Little Rock, may deliver custody and possession of such dog to any person other than the owner upon the payment of the fee as prescribed herein between the sixth day of said impoundment and the tenth day of said impoundment. SECTION 10, Reclaiming Doffs: Fee for Recla mIRZ- Any person owning, possessing or keeping a dog which has been allowed to run at large and which - 4 - has been impounded may claim and retrieve such dog from the city pound by payment of a fee of $5.00 if the dog has been vaccinated within the year next preceding such impounding, and is currently licensed as required by law, or by a fee of $25.00 in the event the dog has not been vaccinated within a year preceding the impoundment, and is not currently licensed. The burden of proof as to vaccination and licensing shall be upon the party attempting to claim the dog from the animal control worker under this ordinance. Any person claiming unvaccinated and unlicensed dogs shall, after payment of the fee assessed herein, and prior to release of the dog, sign a promise in writ- ing to the animal control officer that such person will immediately have the dog vaccinated and licensed if the animal is released to him. The animal control worker shall keep such statements in a safe place, and should such a statement be signed and the dog be again impounded, and the dog not having been vaccinated and licensed as promised, then the animal control worker, prior to releasing the dog, shall require a fee of $100.00 to be paid by the person claiming the dog, and require another promise in writing to have the dog licensed and vaccinated before he shall release the dog to the person claiming same. Upon each subsequent impoundment of such dogs, the same not having been vaccinated, and licensed, an additional fee of $100.00 shall be assessed. SECTION 11. ass Suspicioned Rabid- Any dog or dogs having rabies, or symptoms thereof, or suspected of having rabies, or which has been exposed to rabies shall be immediately released by the owner or custodian of such dog or dogs to the police or animal control workers of the City of Little Rock for disposal or confinement in the dog pound of the City of Little Rock, or in a Veterinary Hospital approved by the City. Such dog or dogs shall be immediately and securely confined, by the attachment of a chain of good quality and kept under the supervision of the animal control workers for a period of thirty (30) days or for a longer period of time if in the opinion of the city Health Officer additional confinement is determined necessary. SECTION 12. . Barking and Howling- It shall hereafter be unlawful for any person, f irm or corporation to keep on his premises, or under his control, any dog which by loud and frequent barking and howling shall disturb the peace , and quiet of any person who may reside within reasonable proximity of the place where such dog is kept. SECTION 13. Inspection and Confinement of Certain Dom- When any dog has '; bitten, scratched, or otherwise attacked a person, that person or anyone having; knowledge of such incident shall immediately notify the Chief of Police, Health -5- Officer, or an animal control worker and such dog shall be confined in the city pound or at a veterinary hospital for a ;period of 10 days at the expense of the owner, or shall be immediately and securelTT confined by the owner by tying with a chain of good quality for a period of 10 days in such a place that no person or animal may be bitten by it and such dog shall during such period of confinement by subject to inspection by the health officer, animal control worker, or a licensed veterinarian. SECTION 14. Condition of Pen and Premises- It shall be unlawful for any person, fire: or corporation keeping or harbouring dogs to fail to keep the premises where such dogs are kept free from offensive odors to the extent that such odors are disturbing to any person residing within reasonable proximity of the said premises; and it shall be unlawful to allow premises where dogs are kept to become unclean and a threat to the public health by failing to diligently and systematically remove all animal i•raste from the premises. SECTION 15. Notice of Offenses and Violations; Arrest- The police Depart- ment Health Officer and animal control worker, or persons employed by such departments, are authorized, for violation of any portion of this ordinance to give to the offender a notice to appear in the Municipal Court, Criminal Division, of the City of Little Rock. Such notice to appear shall state the name and address of the violator and the date of the violation, shall contain a statement of the nature of the violation and be signed by the person having knowledge of such violation and who is also a member of one of the departments of the City of Little Rock before -mentioned. The notice shall contain a printed statement in which the violator promises to appear in the Municipal Court, Criminal Division, without issuance of any warrant or other process and which statement is to be signed by the violator. Upon failure to sign the agreement to appear, the officer or employee shall swear out a complaint and the usual pro- cedure upon the filing of complaints in the Municipal Court shall govern the arrest and trial of the violator. Upon the violator's signing the agreement to appear and his appearance as set out in the notice, no warrant shall issue for the arrest of the violator. SECTION 16. Latensioa of Time to Reduce Number of Doffs- The provisions of Section 3 at this ordinance shall be unenforceable for a period of six (6) months from and after the adoption of this ordinance, thereby allowing -6- owners ample time to provide for quartering and care of dogs elsewhere than on owners premises, in the event owner owns five (5) or more dogs covered by this ordinance. SECTION 17. Penalties and Fines -Any person violating any portion of this ordinance shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished: upon conviction, by assessment of a fine of from Five Dollars ($5.00) to One Hundred Dollars ($100.00). SECTION 18. Repeal of Ord_ es.,All ordinances and portions of ordi- nances in conflict with this ordinance are hereby repealed, and Ordinances 109739, 10,291, 8,914 and 59767 are specifically and in their entirety, hereby repealed. SECTION 19. Severability- Should any portion of this ordinance be un- constitutional or invalid and so declared by a court of competent jurisdic- tion, then the remainder of this ordinance shall not be affected by such partial invalidity. SECTION 20. Popular Vote -This ordinance is hereby submitted to a vote of the qualified electors of the City of Little Rock, Arkansas, at the General Election to be held in the various precincts in the City of Little Rock on the Tuesday following the first Monday of November, 1960. SECTION 21. Popular Election to Control.,-If a majority of the qualified electors voting on said referred ordinance at such election shall vote in favor thereof, the same shall, on the thirtieth day following such election, take and be in full force and effect, and unless a majority of the qualified electors voting thereon at such election shall vote in favor thereof the same shall be deemed defeated and shall be of notforce or effect. SECTION 22, Notice Prior to Election.•The City Clerk of the City of Little Rock, the Election Commission and such other officials as are charged with duties relating thereto, shall, before said election, make such publications • r • -7- and give such notices and make such appointments and do all acts and things in connection with the submission of said referred ordinance to the qualified electors of the City of Little Rock at said election in the manner and form and at the times prescribed by law. PASSED: September 19, 1960 ATTEST: N / APPROVED: N GSruJ � � CITY CLERK MA APPROVED AT GENERAL ELECTION ON NOVEMBER 82 1960.