A.
No person shall abandon or desert his or her dog or cat or permit
such animal to become a stray.
B.
Any dog or cat found at large not wearing any tag indicating proof
of current vaccination against rabies, or that the owner is a City
resident, shall be presumed abandoned, and will be impounded by the
City.
A.
No person shall knowingly or unknowingly permit his dog to be at
large, and such dogs so found at large shall be impounded and/or the
owner issued a citation by the City.
B.
All dogs and cats shall be confined to the owner's premises
should the Mayor declare a state of emergency due to an outbreak of
rabies within the City, or at the direction of the City Manager until
such time as a state of emergency can be declared.
C.
The City Manager may, at his/her discretion, designate specific areas
within the corporate limits of the City of El Reno as training areas
where owners may take their dogs for obedience training, being exempt
from the provisions of this article.
D.
Tethering of animals.
(1)
It shall be unlawful for any person who owns, harbors, or possesses
any animal to fail to confine such animal as required by the provisions
of this section. Every person who owns, possesses, or harbors any
animal within the City shall confine the animal to property owned
or controlled by them. Confinement shall be accomplished by means
of a substantial fence or similar enclosure of sufficient strength
and height to prevent the animal from escaping therefrom or from extending
its head through the enclosure so as to constitute a threat to any
person or animal in the area adjoining the enclosure.
(2)
Animals not confined in enclosures may be confined by a tether. Such
tether shall consist of rope, cable, chain, or other material of sufficient
strength to prevent the animal from escaping from the property. The
owner of an animal maintained on a tether of any type shall properly
fit the animal with a harness or collar to which the tether shall
be attached. The tether shall be of a sufficient length to allow access
to adequate shelter, water, and provide for reasonable exercise.
(3)
No animal shall be tethered for any duration under conditions which
may reasonably threaten the health or well-being of the animal. The
tether shall not allow the animal access to public property, to sidewalks,
rights-of-way, or to property owned or leased by persons other than
the owner of the animal. The tether shall not be subject to entanglement
with other objects in any manner that may cause the animal so tethered
as to unduly burden the animal or facilitate strangulation.
(4)
No person shall tether an animal by the use of a choke chain, prong
collar, or similar device.
(5)
No person shall tether a dog or similar size animal to a vehicle.
(6)
When freedom of movement would endanger the animal, temporarily and
appropriately restricting movement of the animal according to professionally
accepted standards is permissible.
(7)
Any animal not confined as required in this section shall be impounded
and shall be reclaimed only as provided by ordinance. Any person who
fails to confine any animal as required by this section shall upon
conviction be guilty of a misdemeanor and punished as set forth by
resolution.
Except as outlined below in Subsection A of this section, no
owner shall allow any dog or cat to be in any public place or building
where food or drink is sold, served, or dispensed commercially.
A.
A blind, deaf, or physically handicapped person and their guide,
signal, or service dog or a dog trainer from a recognized training
center in the act of training guide, signal, or service dogs shall
not be denied admittance to or refused access to any of the following
because of such dog: any street, highway, sidewalk, walkway, any common
carrier, airplane, motor vehicle, railroad train, motor bus, streetcar,
boat, or any other public conveyance or mode of transportation, hotel,
motel, or other place of lodging, public building maintained by any
unit or subdivision of government, building to which the general public
is invited, college dormitory and other educational facility, restaurant
or other place where food is offered for sale to the public, or any
other place of public accommodation, amusement, convenience, or resort
to which the general public or any classification of persons from
the general public is regularly, normally, or customarily invited
within the State of Oklahoma. Such blind, deaf, or physically handicapped
person or dog trainer from a recognized training center in the act
of training guide, signal, or service dogs shall not be required to
pay any additional charges for their guide, signal, or service dog,
but shall be liable for any damage done to the premises by such dog.
A.
No person shall keep, harbor, or maintain any dog or cat over six
months old within the City without having first had that animal vaccinated
against rabies; such animal shall then be vaccinated against rabies
each year thereafter, receiving an annual certificate or tag by a
licensed veterinarian to that effect.
B.
The veterinarian shall issue a durable tag or identification collar
stamped with an identifying number and the year of issuance. Tags
should be so designed that they may be conveniently fastened or riveted
to the animal's collar or harness. The veterinarian shall maintain
a record of the identifying numbers of all tags issued. This recorded
information shall be released to an animal control officer, a police
officer, or other City officials upon request.
C.
Dogs shall wear the identifying tags or collars at all times, and
no person shall use any tag or collar for any animal other than the
one for which it was issued, nor shall any person remove an animal's
tag or collar without the owner's consent. It is unlawful to
fail to obtain any tag or collar required by this article and is punishable
by a fine as set forth by resolution.
No person shall own, keep, or harbor any dog that annoys or
disturbs any reasonable person of normal sensitivities by loud and
frequent barking, howling, and/or yelping which occurs continuously
for a period of 15 minutes or more or intermittently for a period
of 45 minutes or more.
A.
The owner of any dog known to display unprovoked aggressive tendencies,
or determined by Animal Control to be potentially dangerous, or of
a breed or variety as determined by the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention as having the most dog-bite-related fatalities, or
considered most likely to kill and seriously maim, shall provide proof
of a liability insurance policy of $100,000 to the Chief of Police
and confine such dog within a building or secure enclosed locked pen
or kennel made of at least eight-foot fencing or a secure top and
not allow the animal off the premises until such dog is both:
B.
Police working or service dogs are exempt from this section.
C.
Any person convicted of violating this section shall be punished
by a fine as set forth by resolution.
A.
The Animal Control Supervisor or his designee may review any dog
attack or bite and determine whether or not the dog is deemed to be
dangerous or potentially dangerous. Upon a determination by the Animal
Control Supervisor or his designee that the dog acted in an unwarranted
manner and is a dangerous dog, the owner is required to register the
dog with the El Reno Animal Control Department and immediately comply
with all registration requirements.
B.
A dog shall not be declared dangerous or potentially dangerous if
the threat, injury, or damage was sustained by a person who, at the
time, was committing a willful trespass or other tort upon the premises
occupied by the owner of the dog, or was tormenting, abusing, or assaulting
the dog or has, in the past, been observed or reported to have tormented,
abused, or assaulted the dog, or was committing or attempting to commit
a crime.
C.
Any person convicted of violating this section shall be punished
by a fine as set forth by resolution.
A.
The owner of any dog determined to be dangerous by the Animal Control
Supervisor or his designee shall:
(1)
Validly register the dog with the City of El Reno.
(2)
Show proof of liability insurance coverage or surety bond in the amount required in 4 O.S. § 45.
(3)
Securely confine the dog indoors or in a securely enclosed and locked
pen or structure with at least 150 square feet of space for each dog
kept therein over six months of age, and which is suitable to prevent
the entry of children and designed to prevent the animal from escaping.
Such pen or structure shall have secure sides and a secure top and
shall also provide protection from the elements for the dog.
(4)
Post the premises with a clearly visible warning sign that there
is a dangerous dog on the property. In addition, the owner shall conspicuously
display a sign with a warning symbol that informs children of the
presence of a dangerous dog.
B.
It is unlawful for an owner of a dangerous dog to permit the dog
to be outside the proper enclosure unless the dog is muzzled and restrained
by a substantial chain or leash and under physical restraint of a
responsible person over 16 years of age. The muzzle shall be made
in a manner that will not cause injury to the dog or interfere with
its vision or respiration but shall prevent it from biting any person
or animal.
A.
Any dangerous dog shall be immediately confiscated by an Animal Control
Officer or police officer if:
B.
Any potentially dangerous dog shall be immediately confiscated by
an Animal Control Officer or Police Officer if:
(1)
The owner does not secure or is unable to provide proof of liability insurance coverage or surety bond required under § 135-26A of this chapter;
(3)
The dog is outside of the dwelling of the owner, or outside the proper enclosure and not under the proper restraint per § 135-26A(1) and (2) of this chapter.
