[Ord. No. 16-05 Exh. B, 1-28-2016]
A.
All
owners and custodians or anyone having care, custody or control of
any animal shall prevent the animal from being at large. All domesticated
animals, when such animal is off of their premises, in a residentially
zoned district, shall be on a leash not to exceed ten (10) feet in
length.
[Ord. No. 16-05 Exh. B, 1-28-2016]
A.
It
shall be unlawful for any owner or anyone having care, custody or
control of any dog or cat to:
1.
Confine an animal in an outdoor pen or enclosure without adequate
space so as to provide the animal with free movement or exercise.
2.
Leave a dog or cat tethered outdoors for ten (10) consecutive
hours in a twenty-four-hour period or on a tether that allows a dog
or cat to enter upon a sidewalk or right of way.
3.
Tether a dog or cat except by means of:
a.
A properly fitting harness or collar.
b.
A tether in proportion to the size of the animal so that its weight
and construction do not burden or encumber the animal's movement
but not allow breakage. The tether must be at least fifteen (15) feet
in length with a swivel at both ends. If a trolley system is used
the trolley cable must be at a safe height from the ground.
4.
Tether a dog or cat in such a manner that the animal cannot
access adequate shelter while tethered.
5.
Tether a dog or cat in conditions where the animal or tether
can become entangled causing a hazard for injury or death, or where
the tether can restrict the animal's access to adequate shelter
or adequate food or water.
6.
Tether a dog or cat outdoors in a manner that prevents the animal
to defecate or urinate in an area separate from the area where it
must eat, drink or lie down.
7.
Expose a dog or cat to any weather conditions that cause immediate
or imminent threat to the animal's physical well-being.
8.
Tether an animal in an area where it stays wet or muddy for
more than twenty-four (24) hours after the session of a period of
rain.
9.
Leave an animal tethered outside in a residentially zoned area
between the hours of 10:00 P.M. and 6:00 A.M., except temporarily
tethering outdoors for a time period not exceeding fifteen (15) minutes
for the purpose of urination/defecation.
10.
Tether a dog under the age of six (6) months.
[Ord. No. 16-05 Exh. B, 1-28-2016]
A person may not harbor any stray animal, unless it is reported
to St. Charles County Animal Control within twenty-four (24) hours
of finding the animal. Animal Control may impound the animal at its
discretion.
[Ord. No. 16-05 Exh. B, 1-28-2016]
A.
A competent person or owner is guilty of animal neglect when having
custody or ownership or both of an animal and he or she fails to give
it adequate care.
B.
A competent person or owner is guilty of animal abuse when he/she:
1.
Intentionally or purposely kills an animal in any manner not
allowed by or expressly exempted from the provisions of this act;
2.
Purposely, intentionally or recklessly causes injury, suffering,
or pain to an animal;
3.
Abandons an animal;
4.
Overworks, overloads, drives, tortures, beats, or recklessly
or maliciously wounds or kills an animal, or carries or transports
it in any vehicle or other conveyance in an inhumane or unsafe manner
or causes any of these acts to be done; or
5.
Having ownership or custody or both of an animal and willfully
fails to provide adequate care or adequate control or allows it to
be at large.
C.
The provisions of this Section shall not apply to euthanasia of an
animal by the owner or a veterinarian.
D.
Any person found guilty of animal abuse or neglect shall be responsible
for all real costs associated with the impound, care, keeping, all
diagnostic tests and treatments.
[Ord. No. 16-05 Exh. B, 1-28-2016]
A.
An owner is guilty of failure to register/vaccinate when he/she:
1.
Fails to arrange registration/vaccination of any cat, dog, puppy
or kitten with the St. Charles County Division of Humane Services
when or before the puppy or kitten reaches four (4) months of age,
but not before it reaches three (3) months of age;
2.
Fails to arrange registration/vaccination of any dog or cat
within forty-five (45) days of acquisition by the owner; or
3.
Fails to have a collar or harness bearing a current tag on the
vaccinated dog or cat when the animal is outside the residence of
the owner.
[Ord. No. 16-05 Exh. B, 1-28-2016]
A.
No person shall keep or harbor upon his/her premises any dog that
by frequent and habitual barking, yelping or howling causes fear or
annoyance to the person or persons living in the immediate area.
B.
Complaints during normal business hours of the Division of Humane
Services shall be taken by the Division. Complaints after the Division's
normal business hours shall be taken by the St. Charles County Police
Department.
C.
Before investigating the complaint, the authority receiving it shall take the name, address and telephone number(s) of each complainant. If the Police Department investigates the complaint, the Police Department shall forward a copy of the complaint, as well as an incident report, if any, to the Division of Humane Services. Upon complaint to the Division of Humane Services or upon the Division's receipt of a copy of a complaint taken by the Police Department, the Division of Humane Services may investigate and, upon a finding that the owner of the animal has violated Subsection (A), may request further legal action if either the complainant agrees in writing to testify against the violator of this Section or if the Division's own investigation results in evidence of the violation of Subsection (A).
D.
This Section shall not apply to kennels operating under licenses
issued by St. Charles County at the time this Chapter takes full force
and effect.
[Ord. No. 16-05 Exh. B, 1-28-2016]
A.
No owner or competent person shall keep or harbor upon his/her premises any dangerous dog in violation of the provisions of this Chapter, nor shall any owner or competent person fail to control his or her dangerous dog as required by the provisions of this Chapter. Violation of this provision shall be subject to the penalties set out in Section 205.250, in addition to the fees and penalties set out in Section 205.240.
[Ord. No. 16-05 Exh. B, 1-28-2016]
A.
It
shall be unlawful to fight-train a dog or to keep, harbor, board or
in any manner possess a dog for the purpose of dog-fighting or dog-fight
exhibitions. Scars, wounds, training and/or fighting paraphernalia
shall be used as evidence of participation in dog-fight training or
exhibitions. "Fight training" shall include, but not be limited to:
1.
Actions designed to torment, badger, bait or in any way encourage
any dog for purposes of engaging in a dog-fight exhibition.
2.
The use of other dogs or animals of any sort for blood-sport
training.
3.
Abusing the animal by inflicting blows, kicks or other physical
contact in order to encourage the dog to develop aggression or fighting
skills.
4.
Any other activity, the primary purpose of which is the training
of dogs for aggressive or vicious behavior or dog fights.
[Ord. No. 16-05 Exh. B, 1-28-2016]
A.
No competent person or owner shall place or leave the carcass of
any dead animal in any street, alley or lot, or allow the carcass
to remain on his/her or anyone else's property.
B.
The owner of any animal which has died from any cause shall dispose
of the body within twenty-four (24) hours after knowledge of such
death. The animal shall be buried no closer than four (4) feet to
the natural surface of the ground or disposed of by the County, a
private veterinarian, or a disposal plant licensed under Chapter 269,
RSMo., 1986.
[Ord. No. 16-05 Exh. B, 1-28-2016]
It shall be unlawful for any person to sell, own, possess or
harbor any wild or exotic/dangerous animal in any place other than
a properly maintained zoological park, circus, scientific or educational
institution, research laboratory, or a licensed sanctuary or refuge.
All such animals must be identified by a microchip and that microchip
registered at the St. Charles County Division of Humane Services.
Any violation of this Section shall require the owner or caretaker
to immediately surrender the animals, forfeiting all ownership to
the St. Charles County Division of Humane Services for proper placement
or humane euthanasia.
[Ord. No. 16-05 Exh. B, 1-28-2016]
It shall be unlawful for any person to own, possess, harbor
or keep a rooster in a residentially zoned parcel of land less than
five (5) acres in size.
[Ord. No. 16-05 Exh. B, 1-28-2016]
A.
No person shall harbor, keep or allow another to harbor or keep more
than four (4) domesticated animals on any parcel of property located
within a residentially zoned district; except that any person may
keep more than four (4) animals on any parcel of property only after
obtaining a kennel registration issued by the Division Director of
Humane Services of St. Charles County.
B.
No person shall harbor, keep or allow another to harbor or keep more than four (4) snakes on any parcel of property located within a residentially zoned district. Subsection (B) of this Section shall not apply to any property zoned single-family residential.
C.
Any person that obtains a kennel registration must comply with requirements set forth in Ordinance of St. Charles County Sections §§ 205.160 to 205.210, inclusive. Nothing herein shall be construed to repeal the provision of the County's Keeping Exotic/Dangerous Animals Ordinance, Ordinance of St. Charles County Section § 205.080. Nothing herein shall be construed to limit the number of livestock on agriculturally zoned property.
[Ord. No. 16-05 Exh. B, 1-28-2016]
A.
An
owner or any person is guilty of interfering with an officer when
he/she:
1.
Conceals an animal from an officer of the Division of Humane
Services or Police Department.
2.
Refuses to surrender an animal upon the lawful request of an
officer of the Division of Humane Services or Police Department.
3.
Physically attempts to prevent impounding by the officer of
the Division of Humane Services or Police Department.
[Ord. No. 16-05 Exh. B, 1-28-2016]
All fecal and urine accumulations in any pen, run, cage or yard
where any animal is kept shall be removed and disposed of or cleaned
in such a manner as to prevent the attraction of flies and/or the
creation of offensive, disagreeable, or noxious odors. Dog or cat
owners or anyone having care, custody or control of a dog or cat shall
immediately dispose of, in a sanitary manner, fecal matter created
while off the dog or cat owner's property.
