[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council of the Borough of East Pittsburgh as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 4-14-1980 by Ord. No. 753; amended in its entirety 1-13-1997 by Ord. No. 854 (Ch. 7 of the 1980 Code of Ordinances)]
A. 
The following words and terms, as used in this chapter, shall have the meanings hereby respectively ascribed thereto, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:
ANIMAL
Any domestic animal or fowl, any wild animal or any household pet.
DOMESTIC ANIMAL
Any animal as hereinafter defined as a household pet or a small animal.
HOUSEHOLD PET
Any dog, cat, or other domestic animal normally and ordinarily kept in or permitted to be at large in the dwelling of its owner.
LARGE ANIMAL
Any animal of the bovine, equine, sheep, goat, porcine (pigs) and poultry families.
PERSON
Any person, firm, partnership, association, or corporation.
SMALL ANIMAL
Any domestic animal such as a rabbit, hare, guinea pig, rat, mouse or chinchilla.
WILD ANIMAL
Any animal, bird, fowl, or reptile not normally or ordinarily domesticated; not normally or ordinarily raised in this area and climate as livestock or for work or breeding purposes; or not normally or ordinarily kept as a household pet.
B. 
In this chapter, the singular shall include the plural, the plural shall include the singular, and the masculine shall include the feminine.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: The provisions of this article replace Ordinance Nos. 7, 78, 197, 213 and 347, which have been repealed.
It shall be unlawful for any person to keep any wild or large animal at any place within the Borough of East Pittsburgh, except where the same shall be permitted under Chapter 375, Zoning, in a park, zoological garden or similar establishment for exhibit to the public or to any portion thereof.
It shall be unlawful for any person to keep any domestic animals, except household pets, except as provided in this section.
A. 
Large animals shall be confined in quarters, no part of which shall be closer than 100 feet from the exterior limits of any dwelling or of any property line.
B. 
Small animals shall be kept confined in quarters, no part of which shall be closer than 25 feet from the exterior limits of any dwelling or of any property line.
C. 
The keeper of every such domestic animal shall confine the same in an enclosure sufficient to prevent such animal from running at large, and such enclosure shall be of a size conducive to good sanitation practices; adequate and sanitary drainage facilities shall be provided.
D. 
Every keeper of a domestic animal shall cause the litter and droppings therefrom to be collected daily in a container or receptacle of such type that, when closed, it shall be rat-proof and fly-tight, and after every such collection shall cause such container or receptacle to be kept closed. At least twice a week, every such keeper shall cause all litter and droppings so collected to be disposed of in such a manner as not to permit the presence of fly larvae.
E. 
Every keeper of a domestic animal shall cause all feed provided therefor to be stored and kept in a rat-proof and fly-tight building, box, container, or receptacle.
It shall be unlawful for any person to keep any household pet, except as provided in this section.
A. 
If any such pet shall be kept in a dwelling owned or occupied by its owner, such owner shall be required to follow such procedures and practices as to the number of such pets to be kept there, and as to sanitation, to ensure that no public nuisance shall be created or maintained and no threat to the health of persons living elsewhere than in such dwelling shall be created.
B. 
If any such pet shall be kept in an enclosure outside such dwelling, the provisions of § 172-3 of this chapter, insofar as the same applies to small animals, shall be applicable to the keeping of such household pet.
No person shall ride or drive any animal or operate any animal drawn conveyance on any street or sidewalk within the Borough except in a parade or other special event and pursuant to a permit issued by the Chief of Police.
It shall be unlawful to own, possess, harbor, control or keep any animal or bird which makes such noise continuously and/or incessantly for a period of five minutes or makes such noise intermittently for 15 minutes or more to the disturbance of any person any time of the day or night regardless of whether the animal or bird is physically situated in or upon private property, said noise being a nuisance, provided that at the time the animal or bird is making such noise no person is trespassing or threatening to trespass upon private property in or upon which the animal or bird is situated nor is there any other legitimate cause which justifiably provoked the animal or bird.
The owner or person having custody or possession of any pet or any other animal shall not permit that pet or animal to defecate on any property not owned or leased by the owner or person having custody or possession of such pet or animal, unless such defecation is removed immediately and subsequently disposed of in a toilet or in a nonleaking container for deposit in a trash or litter receptacle.
No residence shall contain at any one time more than two dogs, two cats or any combination thereof; or two of any other caged or uncaged animals. This limit shall not include litters of young which have not yet been weaned or which have been weaned for fewer than six weeks. There shall be no limit on the number of fish which any residence may maintain.
A. 
Any person lawfully owning more than the number of animals specified in § 172-8 at the time of the effective date of this article may retain the animals, provided he/she obtains a special permit from the Chief of Police within 60 days from the effective date of this article. A fee of $15 a household shall be paid to the Borough before such permit will be issued. If for any reason any animal covered by the permit is lost, sold, given away or dies, no replacement of that animal shall be allowed if such a replacement would be in violation of the limitations specified in § 172-8. The special permit shall only be issued when the following conditions are met:
(1) 
The animals in the owner's possession are not creating a nuisance.
(2) 
There is adequate waste disposal.
(3) 
There is no hazard to public safety, health and welfare.
B. 
The Borough shall have the right to conduct an inspection to determine a property owner's compliance with this section.
Every keeper of any animal shall cause the litter and droppings therefrom to be collected daily in a container or receptacle that when closed shall be rat-proof and fly-tight, and after every such collection shall cause such container or receptacle to be kept closed. At least once a week, every such keeper shall cause all litter and droppings so collected to be disposed of in such manner as not to permit the presence of fly larvae.
All animals which are capable of contracting rabies shall be vaccinated against rabies by a licensed veterinarian in accordance with the recommendations for immunization published by the National Association of Public Health Veterinarians, which are incorporated herein by this reference thereto. Any animal may be exempted from the vaccination requirement for a specified period upon possession of the owner of a veterinarian's certificate stating that because of an infirmity or other physical condition, the inoculation is not medically appropriate.
It shall be unlawful to keep any bees in the Borough.
The parent or guardian of any minor claiming ownership of any animal shall be deemed the owner of such animal and shall be liable for any penalties under this article and shall be liable to third parties, as allowed by law, for any acts of such animal.
Any person or entity violating this article shall be subject to a fine not exceeding $1,000, plus costs of prosecution, or, in default of payment thereof, shall undergo imprisonment for a period not exceeding 30 days. Each day any violation exists shall be considered a separate offense.