147ORDINANCE NO. 147
AN ORDINANCE PROVIDING FOR THE LICENSING OF
ALL DOGS WITHIN THE CORPORATE LIMITS OF THE
CITY OF EDGEWATER, FLORIDA: PROHIBITING DOGS
FROM RUNNING AT LARGE WITHIN THE CORPORATE LIMITS
DURING CERTAIN. PERIODS: AUTHORIZING THE IKPOUNDING
AND DESTRUCTION OF DOGS: PROVIDING A PENALTY AND
REPEALING ALL ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT THEREWITH. n
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY OF EDGEWATER, FLORIDA 1�.
SECTION 1: Definition of Terms.
As used in this ordinance, unless the contest otherwise
indicates.
(a) "Dog" shall be intended to mean both male and female.
(b) "Owner" shall be intended to mean any person or persons,
firms, association or corporation owning, keeping or
harboring a dog.
(c) "At Large" shall be intended to mean off the premises of
the owner, and not under the control of the owner or a
member of his immediate family, either by leash, cord,
chain or otherwise.
SECTION 2: License and Registration Required.
All dogs kept, harbored, or maintained by their owners
in the City of Edgewater shall be licensed and registered
if over three months of age. Dog licenses shall be issued
by the City Clerk upon payment of a license tax of $1.00
for each male or spayd female and $2.00 for each unspayd
female. Each owner shall give owners name and address,
and the name, breed, color and sex of each dog owned or
kept by him. The provision of this section shall not be
intended to apply to dogs whose owners are non-residents
temporarily within the City, nor to dogs brought into the
City for the purpose of participating in any dog show nor to
"seeing -eye" dogs properly trained to assist blind persons
when such dogs are actuary being used by blind persons for
the purpose of aiding them in going from place to place.
SECTION 3: Tag and Collar.
Upon payment of the license fee, the City Clerk shall issue
to the owner a license fee receipt and a metallic tag for
each dog so licensed. The shape of the tag shall be changed
every year and shall have stamped thereon the year for which
it was issued, and the number corresponding with the number
on the receipt. Every owner shall be required to provide
each dog with a color to which the license tag must be af-
fixed, and shall see that the collar and tag are constantly
worn. In case a dog tag is lost or destroyed, a new tag
will be issued by the Clerk upon presentation of a receipt
showing the payment of the license fee for the current year,
and the payment of a twenty-five (25) cent fee for such tag.
Dog tags shall not be transferrable from one dog to another
and no refunds shall be made on any dog license fee because
of death of the dog or the ownerts leaving the City before
expiration of the license period.
SECTION 4: Running at Large Prohibited During Certain Periods.
No owner or keeper of any dog shall permit such dog to
run at large if unlicensed, nor shall arty dog be permitted
to run at large at any time between the hours of 8:00 P.M.
of one day and 7:00 A.M. of the following day.
SECTION 5• Impounding.
It shall be the duty of every Police Officer or Pound -
master to apprehend any dog found running at large
contrary to the provisions of Section 4 and to impound
such dog in the City pound or other suitable place. The
poundmaster (or some other designated official) upon
receiving any dog shall make a complete registry, entering
the breed, color, and sex of such dog and whether licensed.
If licensed he shall enter the name and address of the
owner and the number of the license tag. Licensed dogs
shall be separated from unlicensed dogs.
SECTION 6: Notice to Owner and Redemption.
Not later than two (2) days after impounding of any dog, the
owner shall be notified, or if the owner of the dog is un-
known, written notice shall be posted for two (2) days at
the City Hall in the City of Edgewater, describing the dog
and the place and time of taking. The owner of any dog so
impounded may reclaim such dog upon payment of license fee,
if unpaid, and of all cost and charges incurred by the City
of Edgewater for impounding and maintenance of said dog. The
following charges shall be paid, $1.00 for impounding any dog;
for keeping any dog $0.50 per day; for giving notice $1.00.
SECTION 7: Disposition of Unclaimed or Infected Dogs.
It shall be the duty of the poundmaster to keep all dogs im-
pounded for a period of six days. If at the expiration of
six days from the date of notice to the owner or posting of
notice such dog shall not have been redeemed, it may be des-
troyed or adopted as a pet by a person by paying all charges
and procuring license tag. Any unlicensed dog required by
law to be licensed or any dog which appears to be suffering
from rabies, or affected with hydrophobia, mange or other in-
fections or dangerous disease shall not be released but. may
be forthwith destroyed.
SECTION 8: Confinement of Certain Dogs.
No dogs of fierce, dangerous or vicious propensities and no
female dog in heat, whether licensed or not, shall be allowed
to run at large or upon the premises of one other than the
owner. I£ any such dog is found running at large in violation
of this provision it shall be taken up and impounded and shall
not be released except upon approval of Police Chief after
payment of the fees provided in Section 6; Provided, however,
that if any dangerous, fierce, or vicious dog so found at
large, cannot be safely taken up and impounded, such dog may
be destroyed by any policeman.
SECTION 9: Muzzling.
Whenever it become necessary to safeguard the public from the
dangers of hydrophobia, the Mayor, if he deems it necessary,
shall issue a proclamation ordering every person owning or
keeping a dog to confine it securely on his premises unless
such dog shall have a muzzle of sufficient strength to prevent
its biting any person. Any unmuzzled dog running at large dur-
ing the time of the proclamation shall be seized and impounded,
unless noticeably infected with rabies and displaying vicious
propensities, shall be killed by the policeman without notice
to the owner. Dogs impounded during the first two days of such
proclamation shall, if claimed within five days be released to
the owner, unless infected with rabies, upon payment of the im-
pounding charges provided for in Section 6. If unclaimed after
that period, such dog may be summarily destroyed.
SECTION 10: Rabies Notice.
If a dog is believed to have rabies or has been bitten by a
dog suspected of having rabies, such dog shall be confined
by a leash or chain on the owners premises and shall be placed
under the observation of a veterinarian at the expense of the
owner for a period of two weeks. The owner shall notify the
poundmaster of the fact that his dog has been exposed to rabies
and at 4is discretion the poundmaster is empowered tohave such
dog removed from the ownerrs premises to a veterinary hospital
and there placed under observation for a period of two weeks at
the .expense of the owner. It shall be unlawful for any person
knowing or suspecting a dog has rabies to allow such dog to be
taken off his premises or beyond the limits of the City without
the written permission of the Police Chief. Every owner or
other persons, upon ascertaining a dog is rabid shall immediately
notify the poundmaster or Police Chief, who shall either remove
the dog to the pound or summarily destroy it.
SECTION 11: Vaccination.
It shall be unlawful for the owner of any dog to keep, maintain
or allow such dog to run at large unless it shall have been
vaccinated by a licensed veterinary surgeon with anti -rabies
vaccine, within one year preceding the date on which such dog is
kept, maintained or allowed to run at large.
SECTION 12: Penalties.
Any owner found violating any provisions of the ordinance shall
be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof, shall
be punished by a fine of not less than 45.00 or not more than
$25.00 for such offense.
SECTION 13: Repeal of Conflicting Ordinances.
All existing ordinances of the City of Edgewater are hereby re-
pealed, insofar as they may be inconsistent with the provisions
of this Ordinance.
SECTION 14: Separability of Provisions.
It is the intent of the City Council that each separate provision
of this ordinance shall be deemed independent of all other pro-
visions herein, and it is further the intention of the City Council
that if any provision of this ordinance be declared invalid, all
other provisions hereof shell remain valid and enforceable.
SECTION 15: Effective Date.
This Ordinance shall take effect immediately upon approval of
the Mayor.
The above Ordinance was read in full and passed by the vote of the City
Council of the City of Edgewater, Florida, at a regular meeting on the
llth day of March, A. D. 1957.
Upon motion duly made, seconded and unanimously carried, the requirement
of reading said ordinance upon second reading was waived, and the
ordinance was ordered put upon final passage.
Passed by the vote of the City Council of the City of Edgewater, Florida,
at a Regular Meeting of said Council held on the 11th day of March, A. D.
1957, and approved as provided by Law, the vote of said Council on roll
call being as follows: -
Mayor
r
Councilman 1
i
City Clerk
Approved this llth day of March, A. D. 1957-