Chapter 6.24
UNLAWFUL ACTS

Sections:

6.24.010    Proper restraint of animals.

6.24.020    Animal waste.

6.24.030    Harboring annoying or diseased animals.

6.24.040    Cruelty.

6.24.050    Release from restraint by nonowner.

6.24.060    Duty of vehicle operators.

6.24.010 Proper restraint of animals.

No owner or caretaker shall fail to properly restrain his or her animal to prevent it from running at large. (Ord. 82-104 § 8, 1983; Ord. 78-15, 1978)

6.24.020 Animal waste.

No dog or cat owner shall fail to remove the excreta deposited by his dog or cat on public areas, recreation areas or on any other person’s property. (Ord. 83-11 § 2, 1983)

6.24.030 Harboring annoying or diseased animals.

A. No person shall knowingly own, harbor or keep any animal infected with a contagious or pestilent disease, unless confined and under the care of a licensed veterinarian.

B. No person shall fail to exercise proper care and control of his animal to prevent it from becoming a public nuisance.

C. No person shall tie, stake or fasten any animal within any street, alley, sidewalk or public place within the borough or in such a manner that the animal can impede or hinder the safe use by the public of such street, alley, sidewalk or public place.

D. Every female dog or cat in heat shall be kept confined in such a manner that such female animal cannot come in contact with a male animal except for planned breeding purposes. (Ord. 88-058 § 11, 1988; Ord. 85-158 § 4, 1985; Ord. 80-65 § 7, 1980; Ord. 78-15, 1978)

6.24.040 Cruelty.

A. A person commits the crime of cruelty to animals if the person:

1. Intentionally places a poisonous substance where an animal could reasonably ingest the substance; provided, that it shall not be unlawful for a person to place common rat poison in grain on the person’s own property; or

2. Intentionally encourages an animal to fight with another animal for sport, training or entertainment; or

3. Intentionally abandons, harasses, tortures, injures or kills an animal; or

4. Intentionally or negligently fails to provide that person’s animal with adequate food, water, shelter or veterinary care, to prevent physical suffering.

B. It is an affirmative defense to a prosecution under this section if the conduct of the person:

1. Was necessarily incident to lawful hunting or trapping activities; or

2. Was in accordance with accepted veterinary practice; or

3. Was in accordance with accepted farming or animal husbandry practices for this purpose being those approved and/or practiced by the majority of the members of the Local Farm Bureau; or

4. Was the humane destruction of a person’s own animal; or

5. Was the humane destruction of an animal by an animal control officer in accordance with this title; or

6. Was the humane destruction of an animal in extreme pain due to illness or injury; or

7. Was in reasonable defense of person or property, except that this defense does not apply to a person who only injures an animal while in defense of person or property if the person does not make a reasonable effort to track and dispatch the injured animal or notify the injured animal’s owner or notify the borough animal shelter. (Ord. 2002-03 § 6, 2002; Ord. 2000-50 § 11, 2000; Ord. 96-030 § 2, 1996; Ord. 87-062 § 3, 1988)

6.24.050 Release from restraint by nonowner.

No person shall, without permission of the owner, release any animal from restraint except to preserve the animal’s life. (Ord. 78-15, 1978)

6.24.060 Duty of vehicle operators.

A. Any person who, as the operator of a motor vehicle, strikes a domestic animal shall immediately report the accident to the appropriate law enforcement agency or to the department of animal control or will personally contact the animal’s owner.

B. No vehicle operator shall fail to safely restrain an animal within the confines of an open motor vehicle or pick-up truck so as to prevent the animal from jumping, falling, or reaching out. (Ord. 2002-03 § 7, 2002; Ord. 2000-50 § 12, 2000; Ord. 78-15, 1978)