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Home My WebLink About2056 Animal Control - Vicious Dogs - Quarantine of AnimalsORDINANCE NO. AN ORDINANCE REGULATING AND DEFINING VICIOUS DOG; PROVIDING FOR THE QUARAN- TINE OF ANIMALS; PROVIDING FOR CRIMINAL VIOLATIONS AND PENALTIES; AND AMENDING SECTIONS OF ORDINANCE 1969 AND CHAPTER 8.04 OF THE PORT TOWNSEND MUNICIPAL CODE. WHEREAS, the City Council for the City of Port Townsend finds that the existence of vicious dogs within the city cause or create a significant risk of harm to people and other animals; and WHEREAS, the persons who own or control such animals should be held responsible for public safety and for the control of such animals; and WHEREAS, to carry out these purposes, and to more effec- tively regulate vicious dogs, criminal penalties should be provided in the case of violations of regulations pertaining to vicious dogs and the quarantine of animals, now therefore THE CITY COUNCIL FOR THE CITY OF PORT TOWNSEND, IN REGULAR SESSION ASSEMBLED, DO ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS: Section 1 Section 1(12) of Ordinance 1969, together with Section 8.04.010(L) of the Port Townsend Municipal Code are each here and hereby amended to read as follows: 12. ( -W~e~e~s"-me ans-~he-p~epens~y-~e-ge-a~-ae%-~ha~ e ~- 6 ~e ~eene s s - as -m~ ~h~-ee e as ~ena~ ~- ~e a~ - ~e - a~ae~-en -~m~n-be ~ n~ s w~he~-p~e~eea~e~) "Vicious dog" ~as the term is used in this ordinance, m~ans _any ~O.g with. a propen~ity~ tendency~_ or disposi- tion to at.~a.c~, to cause .~Djury, or to otherwise endanger the safety of human ~ing. s...gr~ dg~e.~tic animals;, or any dgg which attaCks a h.uman bDiDg Qr. dome.st.ic a~.im.~!, one or more time_s .w:itb_Qut provoca- tion; or aD3 ~.o_q ~hic~. ha~_ .beeD. _qua~an_ti.n~ for the~.third time for biting human beings_,_ Section 2 Section 6 of Ordinance 1969, together with Section 8.04.270 of the Port Townsend Municipal Code, are each here and hereby amended to read as follows: -1- ~a~n-en-e~-eff-~he-ew~e~Zs-~em~ses-~-a-maa~e~-~a~e-~e-e~Sa~e~ ~e~o~sT-meaae~ag-e~-Saa~e~eas-aa~maE-e~-aa-a~ma~-w~eh-~e~eas p~epen$~e~es=--~ar-saeh-aa~maE-~s-a-a~saaee-aaa-ma~-~e-~mmeaEaee~r 8es~e~eS-e~-eehe~w~se-8~speseS-e~?--~he-ees~-~he~ee~-sha~-~e ~axeS-as-a-pa~-e~-aaS-ee~ee~e~-~a-ehe-same-maaae~-as-eehe~-ees~s ~a-~he-ease=) A. No person o,w_ninq,_ harboring., .or having the care of a vicious .d.o~ shall allow or p.e..zTn~ it such animal to. go _unconfined on the premises of such p~e.rson. B. No person o~n. in.g pr ~arboring or havio.g the care of a vicious dog shall allow or permi.~sp~.h~ dog to go.~eyond the premises of such .person unless s~h dog is securely leashed and humanely muzzled or otherwise securely re.strained. C. A vicious ~og is "unconfined" as the term is used in this section if~ suc.h.~o~, is .D~t securely confined indoors or confined in a securely enclosed and locked pen or structure ~POn the pre- mises of the per.son described in SD.~s~ction A hereof. Such pen or structure must have _secure sides and a secure top. If the pen or structure has no bottom..se~.ur~ ~o..th~..sides, the sides must be imbedded in the ~oun~ n.o _l~s.s ~han o~ foo~. D. A p_e.rso.n who _i~s_._cp.n.v~i..c.ted..qf yio_l_ating this section shall b~, _guli, l,ty_ .of_ a .m_isdeme. a~n. or_,~..The, m_a~im_u.m_ fine is set at $1,.000.00 or i.n..c.arc_e_ra.t_i~n in j~il for...a period not exceeding six mont~hs~ .o..r. both su_ch _fine_ :and imp..r.i.s_on.ment~.. Up.oD_ _the first con- viction ~a_ m.i~nu~mum _fine. of _$.1.00..00...shall be _a_ss_essed; upon the s.e,cond .co.n..v.i~c.tion.,. _a mi_nimB~m.~fine~ of $250.00 shall be assessed, and a minimum of $500.00 shall be assessed upon__the third convictig.n.. Further., any pe.,r.,s,on..f..ound_ ~_u_il.tff. Of y. iolat~ng this _section shall pay all exp. e.ns.e_s, _in_cluding she lte_r~. _foo_d~..veterinary .exPenses for identification_ o_r~ cer~ifica.t, io.n o.f~ the b. re.ed of. ~t_he animal~ o~r. board- ing and veterinary expe_ns~es~ nec.essitated by_ the seizure of any_ dog for the protection of the p..u_bl_ic, a.n.d s_u.ch oth_e_r expenses as may be required for the des.tructio, n .of_ .alny s.uch dog. In addition _any vicious dog as define,d....i,n this chapter whi_c.h _attacks a human being or domestic animal may b,e,. ordered., d, estr_o_ye~, at any time when in the Cour. t'_s ju.dgunent such_ _Vi. cious d_o_g .r.epresents a threat of physical harm..to .hu.m.a_n..b.e..ings or d,o,mestic,, a.n,i_mals.. Section 3 Section 16 of Ordinance 1969, together with Section 8.04.260 of the Port Townsend Municipal Code, are each here and hereby amended to read as follows: Quarantine.fo? B.i.t.iDg An__~mD.l~ A. Any animal that bites or otherwise breaks the skin of any person, regardless of whether that person is on public or private property may be impounded and quarantined for at least ten days to determine whether the animal is infected with any disease that may have been transmitted to the victim. If approved by the impounding authority, the owner or keeper may quarantine the animal on his/her premises. It is a viola- tion of this chapter to refuse required quarantine of an animal which has broken the skin of any person. B. Kennel fees for the quarantine period are to be paid by the owner of the animal and release of the animal is conditioned upon payment of these fees. Ownerless animals shall be humanely destroyed and referred to the local health department for anylysis. C. During the p.e_riod of any quarantine, the owner or keeper of a ~uarantined animal shall not allow said animal to come into contact with D. ny other animal, gr person or permit.such animal to run at large outside of the prem~..ses w_he~e quarantined or upon the premises itselt unless said p.rem~ses be enclosed by a secure fence from which the animal cannot escape. When the fence encloses the access to the pr~i~es',..t~e. _animal must be restricted to leave free access to those persons__.law~u.~_l~ e~terin, g,.the pr.emises. The owner or _keeper shall not remove or cause said animal to be removed from the premises withoUt the p_r_ior consent of the Health Officer. These restrictions shall continue .until..said animal is released from quara.nti~.e~.. ~AD~ 'animal'" ~f°Und run~ni~n.~ a..t !.a. rge. o~r w. hi~ch~ is ~removed from the premises where quarantined, sha_ll, be. _i_mpo_und.e_d, and unless claimed and redeemed by_ .i~t.s, o.w/~_._e.r. __0..r k.e. eper_ wi.t. hin two days after the expiration of the _quarantine p_eri, o.d., may be destroyed bY t~h_e proper a_ut_hori.ti, es. Furth~e~,..a~._do~. ~un_der..quarantin.e which attacks or bites a p.e. rs.o_n..pr_ domD.st_i_c _a~.n_.i_m.al while runnin.g at lar.ge shall be deemed and automatically_ de..c_.lar.e_d._t_q be ~a "xicious dog" under Section 1(12)~_ .and .sha_l~! b.e dDs.t, royed at the end. of the. _quarantine ~eriod, and in addition to any other pen~altie.s, p_rescribed herein_, the owner or keeper or pe.r.s.o_n .having care of_ su~.h dog shall be in violation _of ~Se.qti~o_n 6 Qf ..this~ _t_i,t,l~e_ and subject to the penalties set forth therein. Upon _r~e_d.empti.on 0~..a_....dog, c.at, or other animal released from quarantine from the Cit] Pound, the owner or keeper shall pay. the. sa~.~e ~s-elrViqe ~fee 'and' b~a.r~d, f~e.e ~f.~.rlany ~dO~g_,i ~ia't, or other animal quar. anti~n, ed..in.,..th.e..City Pound as PrOvid.ed ~.or in this chapter; prp~vided~ however, that if the animal is brought to the pqu,nd,',iby _thee- p]wn, le,~ o'r k'.ee~ier_,'. ~t'~'e_ 'servi-Cle. £.ele' '~ha~l..'_b_~- w'ai~ed-. -3- Sect i~on .4 Section 37 of Ordinance 1969 together with Section 8.04.390 of the Port Townsend Municipal Code are each here and hereby amended to read as follows: 8.04.390 Violation--Penalty--Subsequent Violations. Except as prov.i.ded ih ~Sections 8.04.270 and 8.04.260 of this Chapter, (A)~ny person who vilates any provisions of this chapter shall incur a civil penalty. The penalty for the first violation shall be ~Y dollars. This penalty shall not be suspended or deferred. The penalty for a second violation of the same section of this chapter shall be ~ ~4~m4 dollars. The penalty for third violation of the same section of this chapter shall be6m~B~~7~dollars. The penalties for second and third violations or any portion of those penalties may be reduced, suspended or deferred in the discretion of the court. For each vio- lation of a continuing nature, each day shall constitute a separate offesne. A notice of infraction may be issued by the chief of police or his appointed officers or by a specially commissioned police officer. In the case of violations of Sections_8_~..04~.~270 or 8.04.~60, ~the violations shall be prqsec~.tgd in accordance with._applicable criminal court rule. s, _an.d t~e ~i..t~ may also ~ro~.~nder Section 8.04.400 of this chapter to _~a.%e .aDy such violation or violation constituting a nuisance. Section 5 This ordinance shall take effect upon its passage,approval and publication in the manner provided by law. Section 6 If for any reason or part of this ordinance is declared un- constitutional, invalid or unenforceable by any court of competent jurisdication, the remainder of any such section or of this ordinance shall not be affected thereby but shall continue in full force and effect. Read for the first, second and third times, passed by the City Council for the City of Port Townsend and approved by the Mayor this 2nd day of December, 1986. Att~ ~ DAVID GROVE, City Clerk MAYOR BRENT SHIRLE~~ Approved as to form: KEITH C. HARPER, City Att-6~n~y~' -4-