HomeMy WebLinkAboutO-78-05ORDINANCE NO.
CHAPTER NO.
AN ORDINANCE ON' THE CONTROL OF ANIMALS,
SETTI'NG FINES' FOR VIOLATIiON THEREOF AND
SETTING AN EFFECTIVE. DATE
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE C~TY COUNCIL OF THE CI'TY OF SEBASTIAN,
FLORIDA, as follows:
Chapter 6 of the Ordinances of the City of Sebastian is
hereby amended to include the following provisions:
1. Definitions:
(~) Person shall mean natural person, or persons, firms,
association or corporation.
(lb) Owner shall mean any person, as herein defined, who
owns, keeps, harbors or controls an animal.
(Cl Animal shall mean any living dumb creature capable
of self-locomotion.
(d) Vicious animal sh~ll mean any animal of fierce or
dangerous propensities which is likely to cause injury to a
person or persons' or damage to property, or any animal which
exhibits traits which are ungovernable, or any animal which dis-
plays a habit of unprompted bi.ting or has a history of biting
persons three (~ times within a period of eighteen (.18) months.
(D) At large shall mean when an animal is off of the
premises-of the owner and not under the actual control, custody,
charge or possession of th~ owner or other responsible person
either by. leash, cord, chai.n, or other means of actual control.
(~ Impounding officer shall mean the person or
persons appointed by, contracted with, or employed by the City
Council.
(g)
skin.
Bite or scratch shall mean the breaking of the
(h~ Temporary shall mean one calendar week..
fi) I~mediate family' shall mean husband, wife,
children or other person residing in the household of the animal
owner, if related by, consanguinity or affinity.
2. It shall be unlawful for any person to own, keep or
harbor any-animal found at la~ge, which, animal is endangering the
health and safety of the public, damagi,ng or destroying real or
personal property, or ~s not vaccinated as required by law.
3. It shall be unlawful for any person to own, keep or
harbor any vicious, animal which is not confined in a building or
secured enclosure, or to release, either wilfully or through a
failure to exercise due. care. or control, Or to take such. animal
out of such building or secured enclosure in such manner as is
likely to cause injury, to a person or damage to property of
another person, wi,thin the. city limits of the city of Sebastian.
4. It shall be unlawful for any person to own, keep or
harbor any' animal which habitually barks, whines, howls or runs
after persons or vehicles-, which destroys, or damages any property
of another person, which causes serious annoyance to a neighboring
resident and inte.~fers ~th the reasonable use and enjoyment of
his property,, or which is' otherwise offensive so as to create a
nuisance, or which defecates or urinates upon any property or
premises owned by. any' person except the property' premises of owner
of such animal,
5. It shall be unlawful for the owner of any dog to keep
any' dog more than four ~4). ~onths old in the incorporated area
of the. City of Sebastian without having said dog vaccinated
annually, against rabies, by' a licensed veterinarian and licensed
as required by, law. It shall be unlawful for the owner of any
other animal required to be. vaccinated annually against rabies,
to keep such. animal w~thout having it vaccinated by a licensed
veterinarian as required by law.
6. The Mayo~, with the consent of the City Council, shall
appoint the impounding offi,ce~ or officers of the City. of
Sebastian, to receiye, catch, pick. up and impound any animal
running or roaming at large or believed to be a stray, and any
animal not vaccinated or l~censed, and to deliver any such.
animal to the ~mane Society-of Vero Beach, Inc., or any other
bus~ness or organization designated by the City Council to be
in charge of such. animals.
In the event such animal is seriously injured or
seriously, ill, or believed to have rabies or other infectious
or contagious' d~sease, at the discretion of the impounding officer
such animal shall be first delivered to a veterinarian designated
by the City, Council, and upon release by the veterinarian be
delivered to the impounding shelter.
7. The. C~ty of Sebast±an shall designate an impounding
shelter or facility' and for this purpose enter into agreements
with the Humane Soci.ety' of Vero Beach., I'nc., or such other
business or organization as so designated by the City Council,
and pay, such~ amounts as the. Council may' from time to time deem
reasonable for the impounding and disposing of animals running at
large or having or believed to have rabies or other infectious
or contagious disease Wi.thi~ the city. limits of the City of
Sebastian.
8. ~a~ The H.~mane Society of Veto Beach, Inc., or any
other business or organization so desi.gnated, their agents and
employees, are hereby-authorized to receive, from the impounding
officer and i~pound any animal
(~ seriously injured or diseased;
(~2] running or roaming at large or believed to
be a stray and any' animal not vaccinated and li. censed according
to law-; and
(3) believed to have rabies or other infectious
or contagious-disease,
(b) The society', business or organization receiving
such animals' from the city, are hereby authorized to humanely
destroy or otherwise d~spose of any such animal whose owner or
keeper ~s not known or which is, not redeemed within five (5) days
after notice ha~ been given to the person, firm or corporation
owning, possessing, harboring, keeping or maintaining such animal.
An animal maY' be redeemed by, ~ts owner or keeper upon payment of
accrued fees and charges sat by the City Council and in compliance
with. the provisions of this article.
~ Th~ society, business or organization are hereby
authorized to engage the services of a licensed veterinarian to
observe or treat suck impounded animals, at the expense of the
owner or keeper, or if th~ owner or keeper cannot be located,
at the expense, of' the City of Sebastian, and to destroy any such
animal without compensation to the owner or keeper upon certifi-
cation by the attending veterinarian that the continued existence
of such. animal jeopardizes public h~alth, safety and welfare.
I'f it does not appear that the continued existence of such animal
jeopardizes public health., safety and welfare, the society,
business or organization shall return such animal to the person,
firm or corporation owning, harboring, possessing, keeping or
maintaining the same upon pavement of accrued fees or charges to
the City~ of' Sebastian as set b~, separate resolution of the City
Council and to the veterinarian attending said animal. The
society, business or organ±zation are hereby granted discretionary
authority' to immediately and humanely destroy or otherwise
dispose of any' such. si.ck or diseased animal whose condition is
such that its continued existence would be inhumane.
9. The City of Sebastian is authorized to charge, fees,
including fees for clerical sarvices, for receiving, impounding,
boarding and keeping suck animals as from time to time may be
determined by-the City Council, and any owner or keeper seeking
to redeem his animal, must first obtain a statement from the
City Clerk of the City of Sebastian and the veterinarian, if any,
that said fees have been paid and submit proof of vaccination
and licensing before such. animal can be released.
10. Any person who owns, keeps or harbors any animal
which, violates any section of thi. s ordinance, shall be guilty
of a violation of a municipal ordinance of the City of Sebastian,
and upon conviction may be fined by imprisonment not to exceed
six months, or fine not to exceed $500.00, or both,.
11. All ordinances and parts of ordinances in conflict
with this ordinance, or inconsistent with the provisions of
this ordinance, are hereby repealed.
12. This ordinance shall become effective immediately upon
its passage.
ATTEST:
Pat ~lood, Jr., Mayor
1 HEREBY' CERTIF~ .that notice of the public hearing of
the foregoing Ordinance. was given in accordance with Chapter
1.66.041 of the Florida Statutes on. L~~~.~ ~ ~7 3
1978, in the Veto Beach Pre'ss Journal, a~newspaper of' general
circulation in tha City of Sebastian, Florida; that said
public hearing was h~ld i.n the. City Hall of the City of
Sebastian, Florida, at 7:00 P.M. on ~~~~--~'
1978; that said Ordinance passed on first reading on
-- 5
/~ <g~ , 1978, and that said Ordinance
passed on second and final, readi.ng and was adopted by the .City
Council of the City of Sebastian on ~,,
1978.