§ 14-1. Definitions.

The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this chapter, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

Animal means any living creature other than man.

Cat means a domesticated animal that is a member of the feline family.

Dog means a domesticated animal that is a member of the canine family.

Fowl means any bird, domestic or wild.

Kennel means any lot, enclosure, premises, structure or building where four or more dogs over the age of six months are kept or maintained for any purpose.

Livestock means any grazing animal, including but not limited to cattle, horses, mules, asses, burros, sheep and goats.

Run at large means that an animal is not under actual physical restraint by means of a pen, fence or other structure or a leash, chain, rope or other lead.

Subject to capture means any animal, except cats, observed running at large, or any animal reasonably believed to have bitten, clawed or scratched some person.

Vicious animal means any individual animal of any species that has on two previous occasions, without provocation, attacked or bitten any person or other animal.

Wild animal means any live animal, other than a common domestic species, regardless of the state or duration of captivity which can be normally found in the wild state, or may pose a potential physical or disease threat to the public or that is protected by international, federal, or state regulations, including but not limited to the following:

Class Reptilia. Family Heldermatidea (venomous lizards); Family Viperidae (rattlesnakes, copperheads, cottonmouths, other pit vipers and true vipers); Family Elapidae (coral snakes, cobras, mambas, and other elapids); the following listed species of Family Colubridae Dispholidus typus (boomslang), Hydrodynastes gigas (water cobra), Bioga (mangrove snake), and Thelotornis (African twig snake) only; Order Phidia, Family Boidae (racers, boas, water snakes, and pythons); and Order Crocadilla (crocodiles, alligators, caimans, and gavials);

Class Aves. Order Falconiforms (such as hawks, eagles, and vultures); Subdivision Ratitae (such as ostriches, rheas, cassowaries, and emus); and Order Strigiforms (such as owls);

Class Mammalia. Order Carnivora, Family Felidae (such as ocelots, margays, tigers, jaguars, leopards, lions, cheetah, bobcat, lynx, serval, caracal and cougars), except commonly accepted domesticated cats; Family Hyaenidae (such as hyena); Family Canidae (such as wolves, wolf-dog, hybrids, dingos, coyotes, and jackals), except domesticated dogs; Family Mustelidae (such as weasels, skunks, martins, minks, and badgers) except domestic ferrets (Mustela putorius furo); Family Procyonidae (raccoon); Family Ursidae (such as bears) Order Marsupialia (such as kangaroos, wallabies and common opossums); Order Edentata (such as sloths, anteaters, and armadillos); Order Proboscidea (elephants); Order Primata (such as monkeys, chimpanzees, baboon, orangutan and gorillas); Order Rodentia (such as porcupines); and Order Ungulata (such as antelope, deer, bison, and camels), unless the Order Ungalata are located on premises which meet the definition of the farm/ranch; or any hybrid of an animal listed in this subdivision;

Animals not listed. The director of health may declare any species of animal not listed in this subsection as "prohibited" if the confinement of the animal within the city can be shown to constitute a threat to public health and safety; and does not mean any bird kept in a cage or aviary that is not regulated by international, federal, or state law, or a gerbil, hamster, guinea pig, or laboratory mouse or rat.

(Code 1967, § 5-1; Ord. No. 2566, § 2, 10-26-78; Ord. No. 2702, § 1, 8-1-79; Ord. No. 3140, § 1, 4-23-81; Ord. No. 3751, § 1, 1-12-84; Ord. No. 9283, § 1, 12-13-01)

Cross reference

Definitions generally, § 1-2.