[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Trustees
of the Village of Pittsford 3-14-1989 as Ch. 42, Arts. I and II, of the 1989 Code; amended in its entirety 2-10-2015 by L.L. No. 4-2015. Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]
For the purpose of this article, the following definitions shall
apply.
An unleashed dog off the premises of the owner.
Both male and female dogs unless the context requires otherwise.
The dog is equipped with a collar or harness, to which is
attached a leash not more than eight feet in length, both collar,
harness and leash to be of sufficient strength to restrain the dog,
which leash shall be held by a person having the ability to control
and restrain the dog by means of the collar, harness and leash.
Includes any person who owns, keeps, harbors or has the care,
custody and control of a dog. Dogs owned by minors shall be deemed
to be in the care, custody and control of the minor's parents
or other head of the household where the minor resides.
It shall be unlawful for any person to cause, authorize or permit
any horses, cattle, sheep, swine or other animals, except cats, to
run at large upon the streets, alleys or public grounds in the Village.
In case any Village official shall find any such animal so running
at large, the official is hereby authorized to impound the animal
and sell the same at public auction to the highest bidder after reasonable
public notice thereof and, out of the proceeds, to pay the costs of
keeping and the sale and the penalty imposed by this Code. The remainder,
if any, shall be returned to the owner of such animal.
It shall be unlawful for any person to keep any animal or bird
which, by causing frequent or long-continued noise, shall disturb
the comfort or response of any person in the Village.
It shall be unlawful for any owner of a dog(s) in the Village
to permit or allow such dog(s) to run at large. Each dog owned by
the same owner, regardless if its identity, and found to be at large
in violation of this section shall constitute a separate offense by
the owner under this section and for purposes of the imposition of
the penalties of this chapter.
It shall be unlawful, in the Village, for the owner of any female
dog to permit the dog off the premises of the owner while such dog
is in heat.
It shall be unlawful for the owner of any dog(s) in the Village
to permit or allow such dog(s) to bite or chase another dog or domesticated
in a potentially dangerous manner; or to bite, chase or otherwise
harass any person, in such a manner as reasonably to cause intimidation
or to put such person in reasonable apprehension of bodily harm or
injury.
It shall be unlawful for any owner of a dog in the Village to
permit or allow such dog(s) to cause damage or destruction of property
or to commit a nuisance upon the premises of a person other than the
owner of such dog(s).
It shall be unlawful for any owner of a dog(s) in the Village
to permit or allow such dog(s) to engage in habitual loud howling
or barking or conduct itself in such manner so as to habitually annoy
another person other than the owner or person harboring such dog(s).
It shall be unlawful for any person to keep more than four dogs,
four months or older, on any premises in the Village, regardless of
the number of owners, unless the laws of the state, in regards to
kennels, and the ordinances and local laws of the Village of Pittsford,
New York, have been complied with.
A Dog Warden, to be designated by the Village of Pittsford Board of Trustees as provided in § 115 of the Agriculture and Markets Law of the state, shall have the power of a constable or other peace officer in the execution of the provisions of this article and such other and further powers and duties as are set forth in Article 7 of the Agriculture and Markets Law, as amended, and may also investigate and report to a Town Justice of the Town of Pittsford any dangerous dog(s) as described in § 121 of the Agriculture and Markets Law of the state and see that the order of the Town Justice in such case is carried out.
A.
Any peace officer, police officer or Animal Control Officer of the Village shall seize any dog(s) found in the Village not wearing the license tag required by Article 7 of the Agriculture and Markets Law.
B.
Any peace officer, police officer or Animal Control Officer of the Village shall seize any dog(s) found at large in the Village, whether wearing the license tags as required by Article 7 of the Agriculture and Markets Law of the state or not.
C.
Any peace officer, police officer or Animal Control Officer of the
Village shall seize any unlicensed dog either on or off the owner's
premises.
Every dog seized under this article shall be properly fed and
cared for at the expense of the Village of Pittsford, New York, until
disposition thereof as provided in this article and in accordance
with the applicable provisions of the Agriculture and Markets Law
of the state.
A.
If a dog(s) seized under this article bears a valid license tag, the Animal Control Officer shall ascertain the owner of the dog(s) and shall give immediate notice by personally serving such owner or an adult member of the family with a notice, in writing, that the dog has been seized and that the owner shall forfeit all title to the dog unless redeemed as provided in Subsection B.
B.
The owner of the dog seized under this article may redeem the dog(s)
within seven days, except that the owner of the dog(s) bearing a license
tag may redeem the dog(s) within 12 days, by paying the Village Clerk
the sum of $10 per day for boarding of the dog(s), and such person
shall also pay the Village Clerk the following impoundment fees:
C.
If not so redeemed, the owner shall forfeit all title to the dog, and the dog shall be made available for adoption or transferred to the Monroe County Humane Society. In the case of adoption, the purchaser shall pay to the Village all costs incurred by the Village as a result of its impoundment; shall comply with the requirements of Article 7 of the Agriculture and Markets Law of the state; and shall obtain a license before the dog is released from impoundment.
Any person who observes a dog(s) causing damage or destruction
to property of a person other than its owner, or committing a nuisance
upon the premises of another person other than its owner, in the Village,
may file a signed complaint, under oath, with a Town Justice of the
Town of Pittsford, specifying the objectionable conduct of the dog,
the date thereof, the damage caused, a description of the dog and
the name and residence, if known, of the owner or other person harboring
such dog(s).
A.
Upon receipt by the Town Justice of the Town of Pittsford of any
complaint, in writing, against the conduct of any particular dog(s)
in the Village, the Town Justice must summon the alleged owner or
other person harboring such dog(s) to appear, in person, before him.
If the summons is disregarded, the Town Justice must permit the filing
of information and issue a warrant for the arrest of such person.
B.
The Dog Warden or peace officer observing a violation of this article or a violation of Article 7 of the Agriculture and Markets Law of the state in his presence shall issue and serve an appearance ticket for such violation. The appearance ticket shall be in the form prescribed by this Board by resolution in accordance with the provision of § 124 of the Agriculture and Markets Law and this article. An answer to such appearance ticket shall be made within five days of the violation by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, in lieu of personal appearance on the return date at the time and court specified in the appearance ticket in accordance with the provisions of § 124 of the Agriculture and Markets Law and this article.
A.
Any person owning, harboring, keeping or in charge of any domestic
animal shall immediately remove, in a suitable container, all feces
deposited by such domestic animal on any common thoroughfare, sidewalk,
passageway, canal path, play area, park or any place where people
congregate or walk, or on any public property whatsoever, or on any
private property without the permission of the owner of said property.
(1)
The feces shall be removed from the aforementioned designated area
or shall be deposited in a designated public waste receptacle by the
person owning, harboring, keeping or in charge of any domestic animal
curbed. Disposal of feces in street storm-collection systems is prohibited.
(2)
Any dog which serves as a guide dog shall be exempt from the provisions
of this section while such dog is accompanying a blind person.
B.
Any person who violates any provision of this article shall, upon
conviction thereof, be punished as set forth in § 119 of
the Agriculture and Markets Law.
The Town of Pittsford Animal Control Officer is designated as
the official responsible for animal control and animal licensing within
the Village of Pittsford.