09-12-2007
CITY OF EDGEWATER
ANIMAL CONTROL BOARD MEETING
September 12, 2007 @ 7:00 P.M.
City Hall Conference Room
MINUTES
CALL TO ORDER
Chairwoman Donna Wagner called the regular meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. in
the City Hall Conference Room.
ROLL CALL
Members present were: Chairwoman Donna Wagner, Karen Mason, and Mary
Wenderoth. Dr. Vanis and Jamie Young were not present. Also present: Board
Coordinator Michelle Grenham.
OLD BUSINESS:
Chairwoman Donna Wagner opened the meeting with a recommendation to
approve the July 18, 2007 special meeting minutes and the June 13, 2007
meeting minutes.
MOTION by Karen Mason, SECOND by Mary Wenderoth to approve as written.
MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
The Board reviewed and discussed the following ordinance sections.
Sec. 5-2 Animal under restraint: An animal secured by a leash or lead under the
control of a person physically capable of restraining the animal and obedient to
that person's commands or securely enclosed within the real property limits of the
owner's premises. Animal under restraint shall also include the following:
(1) While on the property of its owner that:
(a) Reasonable care and precautions are taken to prevent the
animal from leaving, while unattended, the real property limits of
its owner; and
(b) The animal is:
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1. Securely and humanely confined within a house,
building, fence, crate, pen or other enclosure; or
2. Humanely secured by chain, cable and trolley, rope
or tether of sufficient strength to prevent escape; or
3. Leashed and controlledor otherwise controlled by a
responsible person or is obedient to the commands of a
person present with the animal at any time it is not secured
as provided for in subsection (1) or (2) above.
(2) While off the property of the owner that:
a. The animal is securely confined within a vehicle; or
b. The animal is caged or tethered in the open bed of a pick-up truck
as set forth in Section 5-22; or
c. The animal is securely and humanely confined within a
house, building, fence, crate, pen or other enclosure; or
d. The animal is humanely secured by a chain, cable and
trolley, rope or tether of sufficient strength to prevent escape; or
e. That the animal is leashed, controlled and obedientor
otherwise controlled by a responsible person or is obedient to the
commands of a person present with the animal at all time it is not
secured.
Pet-sitter (nonprofit):A person who provides care for] any animal temporarily placed in
a family member or friend’s residence for temporary care without exceeding the
maximum number of animals allowed per residence. The temporary placement shall not
exceed a period of two (2) weeks months per visit, nor more than thirty (30) days
annually. and at no time shall a nonprofit pet-sitter receive compensation for this service.
Rescuefamilies or groups that are approved by Edgewater Animal Services to provide
temporary care for homeless animals are not considered pet sitters and may extend past
the allowed time frame as approved by Edgewater Animal Services.
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Sec. 5-8. Animals prohibited.
It shall be unlawful for any owner to keep or permit to be kept within the city any
horses, hogs, Vietnamese Pot-bellied pigs, sheep, goats, cattle, chickens, or other farm
venomousspecies and any non-indigenous reptiles (excluding tortoise)
animals, and
any domestic animal from the wild unless authorized by the Edgewater Zoning
Ordinance.
A residential premise shall not exceed a maximum number of five (5) dogs or
cats, or a combination thereof, and must provide proof from a licensed veterinarian that
each dog or cat has been spayed or neutered. Any premises that harbors more than one
(1) unaltered dog or cat over 4 months of age must obtain a breeders permit.
Sec. 5-12.1 Responsibilities of a pet owner or guardian
A caregiver shall treat a companion animal in a humane manner and shall provide
humane care for an animal. Humane care includes but is not limited to providing
adequate food, adequate fresh water, adequate shelter, adequate space and veterinary care
of to maintain health and to prevent or cure diseases.
(a)
The pet owner or guardian must live on the premises with the animal. Even if
care is provided with daily visits, animals must not be kept permanently on
property where noone resides.
(b)
An annual health check provided by a licensed veterinarian, including but not
limited to recommended vaccines for both canine and feline, diagnostic tests as
required, internaland external parasite prevention. Treatment by a licensed
veterinarian for illnesses and injuries must be sought to ensure the health and
safety of animal. Pet caregivers must not attempt to perform surgery i.e.: ear
cropping or tail docking, or to provide medical care that is beyond their realm of
expertise.
(c)
Any animal that is kept tethered must be attached to a stationary object; not an
object that could become mobile.
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Sec. 5-14. Running at large prohibited.
(a)Prohibition of animals at large.
1. No owner shall permit, either willfully or through failure to
exercise due care and control, any animal to run at large off the
premises of the owner.
2. Upon finding an animal at large, an animal control officer may
issue a warning or in her discretion, a citation for such violation or,
alternatively, if the owner cannot be identified and located with
reasonable effort, such animal may be seized and impounded.
(b)Seizure of at large animals; harboring and finder-ownership.
1. When an animal is at large on private property, the animal may be
seized by the property owner or tenant in a humane manner. The
animal shall be delivered to an animal control officer, the designate
holding or impounding facility or a similar organization within two
(2) business days unless the person seizing the animal wishes to
keep the animal as his own. If the person seizing the animal
wishes to keep the animal, he shall notify the animal control officer
who shall attempt to determine ownership of the animal. If no
owner is found within thirty (30) days, the finder shall be
conclusively presumed to be the owner of such animal.
2. Any person seizing an animal and then delivering the animal to an
animal control officer, the designated holding or impounding
facility or similar organization shall do so at his own risk. Upon
delivery the finder shall sign a delivery document stating the date,
time and location where the animal was found and a description of
the animal.
3. If the ownership of a found animal is in dispute, the person
claiming previous ownership of the found animal must provide the
finder with proof of ownership in order to successfully reclaim the
animal. Such proof may include documentation of prior veterinary
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records of such animal and/or identifying photographs.
4. Any person who seizes an animal pursuant to this section shall
exercise utmost care to treat the animal humanely and to avoid
inflicting any cruelty, injury, sickness, hunger or other ailment or
affliction upon the animal during either the seizure or delivery of
the animal. Any person unable to comply with this section shall
not seize an animal.
Sec. 5-30. Vaccination of dogs and cats.
(1) All dogs, cats, and ferrets 4 months of age or older must be vaccinated by a
licensed veterinarian against rabies with a vaccine that is licensed by the United States
Department of Agriculture for use in those species. The owner of every dog, cat, and
ferret shall have the animal revaccinated 12 months after the initial vaccination.
Thereafter, the interval between vaccinations shall conform to the vaccine manufacturer’s
directions. The cost of vaccination must be borne by the animal’s owner. Evidence of
circulating rabies virus neutralizing antibodies shall not be used as a substitute for current
vaccination in managing rabies exposure or determining the need for booster
vaccinations.
Sec. 5-36. Breeding and kennels.
(1) No person shall establish or maintain any breeding on their residential
premises without first obtaining an annual breeder permit and license tag for
each adult animal intended for breeding purposes that is unaltered.
(4) The offspring of the animal bred must meet all local and state law may be sold
by the owner.Such sales shall not be considered commercial breeding for the
purpose of this chapter provided that such sale is not the primary occupation of
the breeder.
(b) Kennels.
(5) Reserved.
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Sec. 5-40. Impoundment.
(14) Animals impounded due to caregiver being incarcerated or hospitalized, the
city shelter having custody of the animal, will hold the animal up to ten days
during which time all reasonable means will be made to contact the caregiver to
make arrangements for care. If no arrangements by the caregiver are made,
custody will be given to the shelter to be adopted or humanely euthanized.
(15) After the spay period has expired, any animal impounded, regardless of
circumstances, must be sterilized.
(16) Any animal impounded on three separate occasions, must be sterilized before
returning to its owners. Sterilization is at the owners’ expense. The only
exception would be if sterilization surgery would be dangerous to an animals’
health as determined by a licensed veterinarian and approved by the Edgewater
Animal Services.
MOTION by Karen Mason, SECOND by Mary Wenderothto approve as written.
MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
ADJOURNMENT
MOTION to adjourn the meeting was made by Karen Mason, SECOND
by Mary Wenderoth. The meeting was adjourned at 7:20 pm.
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Next Meeting will be held on December 5, 2007 at 7 p.m.