Chapter 6.05
GENERAL REGULATIONS
Sections:
6.05.010 Purpose – Other animal regulations – Conflict.
6.05.010 Purpose – Other animal regulations – Conflict.
A. It is declared the public policy of the city of Shoreline to secure and maintain such levels of animal care and control as will protect animal and human health and safety, and to the greatest degree practicable to prevent injury to property and cruelty to animal life. To this end, it is the purpose of this title to provide a means of caring for animals, licensing dogs, cats, animal shelters, kennels, catteries, grooming services, pet shops, hobby kennels, hobby catteries and related facilities, controlling errant animal behavior so that it shall not become a public nuisance and preventing cruelty to animals.
B. For regulations regarding the number, type, and species of animals that are allowed in Shoreline and the standards in which animals must be kept, refer to SMC 20.40.240.
C. Except for SMC 6.20.080 regarding hobby kennels and hobby catteries, if there is a conflict between a provision of this title and a provision in SMC 20.40.240, the provision in SMC 20.40.240 shall control. [Ord. 595 § 2 (Att. A), 2011]
6.05.020 Definitions.
In construing this title, except where otherwise plainly declared or clearly apparent from the context, words shall be given their common and ordinary meaning. In addition, the following definitions apply to this chapter:
A. “Abate” means to terminate any violation by reasonable and lawful means determined by the director of the animal care and control authority in order that an owner or a person presumed to be the owner shall comply with this chapter.
B. “Altered” means spayed or neutered.
C. “Animal” means any living creature except Homo sapiens, insects and worms.
D. “Animal care and control authority” means the city of Shoreline’s animal care and control administrative section, whether staffed by city of Shoreline employees or through a contract with another governmental or non-governmental entity, acting alone or in concert with other jurisdictions for enforcement of the animal care and control laws of the city and state and the shelter and welfare of animals.
E. “Animal care and control officer” means any individual employed, contracted or appointed by the animal care and control authority for the purpose of aiding in the enforcement of this chapter or any other law or ordinance relating to the care and licensing of animals, control of animals or seizure and impoundment of animals, and includes any state or municipal peace officer, sheriff, constable or other employee whose duties in whole or in part include assignments that involve the seizure and taking into custody of any animal.
F. “Animal shelter” means a facility that is used to house or contain stray, homeless, abandoned or unwanted animals and that is owned, operated or maintained by a public body, an established humane society, animal welfare society, society for the prevention of cruelty to animals or other nonprofit organization or person devoted to the welfare, protection and humane treatment of animals.
G. “At large” means that an animal is off the premises of the owner and not under the control of the owner by leash; provided, that an animal within an automobile or other vehicle of its owner shall be deemed to be upon the owner’s premises.
H. “Cattery” means a place where adult cats are temporarily boarded for compensation, whether or not for training. An adult cat is one of either sex, altered or unaltered, that is at least six months old.
I. “Domesticated animal” means a domestic beast, such as any dog, cat, rabbit, horse, mule, ass, bovine animal, lamb, goat, sheep or other animal made to be domestic.
J. “Exotic animal” means any of the following:
1. Venomous species of snakes capable of inflicting serious physical harm or death to human beings;
2. Nonhuman primates and prosimians;
3. Bears;
4. Nondomesticated species of felines;
5. Nondomesticated species of canines and their hybrids, including wolf and coyote hybrids; and
6. The order Crocodylia, including alligators, crocodiles, caimans and gavials.
K. “Euthanasia” means the humane destruction of an animal accomplished by a method that involves instantaneous unconsciousness and immediate death or by a method that causes painless loss of consciousness and death during the loss of consciousness.
L. “Fee schedule” means the impact fee rates and charges established by resolution of the city council pursuant to Chapter 3.01 SMC.
M. “Fostering” means obtaining unwanted dogs or cats and locating adoptive homes for those licensed and spayed or neutered dogs or cats.
N. “Grooming service” means any place or establishment, public or private, where animals are bathed, clipped or combed for the purpose of enhancing either their aesthetic value or health, or both, and for which a fee is charged.
O. “Guard dog” means any member of the dog family Canidae that has been trained or represented as trained to protect either person or property, or both, by virtue of exhibiting hostile propensities and aggressiveness to unauthorized persons.
P. “Guard dog purveyor” means any person, firm or corporation supplying guard dogs to members of the public.
Q. “Guard dog trainer” means any person, either as an individual or as an employee of a guard dog purveyor, whose prime function is the training of dogs as guard dogs.
R. “Harbored, kept or maintained” means performing any of the acts of providing care, shelter, protection, refuge, food or nourishment in such a manner as to control the animal’s actions, or that the animal or animals are treated as living at one’s house by the homeowner.
S. “Hobby cattery” means a noncommercial cattery at or adjoining a private residence where four or more adult cats are bred or kept for exhibition for organized shows or for the enjoyment of the species.
T. “Hobby kennel” means a noncommercial kennel at or adjoining a private residence where four or more adult dogs are bred or kept for any combination of hunting, training and exhibition for organized shows, for field, working or obedience trials or for the enjoyment of the species.
U. “Juvenile” means any dog or cat, altered or unaltered, that is under six months old.
V. “Kennel” means a place where adult dogs are temporarily boarded for compensation, whether or not for training. An adult dog is one of either sex, altered or unaltered, that is at least six months old.
W. “Lawful training” means to be engaged in training on the premises of the owner or on the land of another person by permission; provided, that the animal is accompanied afield by the owner or trainer.
X. “Leash” includes a cord, thong or chain not more than 15 feet in length by which an animal is physically controlled by the person accompanying it.
Y. “Notice of violation” includes notices of violation and orders to comply and civil infractions.
Z. “Owner” means any person having an interest in or right of possession to an animal. “Owner” also means any person having control, custody or possession of any animal, or by reason of the animal being seen residing consistently at a location, to an extent such that the person could be presumed to be the owner.
AA. “Pack” means a group of two or more animals running upon either public or private property not that of its owner in a state in which either its control or ownership is in doubt or cannot readily be ascertained and when the animals are not restrained or controlled.
BB. “Person” means any individual, partnership, firm, joint stock company, corporation, association, trust, estate or other legal entity.
CC. “Pet” means a dog or a cat or any other animal required to be licensed by this chapter. “Dog,” “cat” and “pet” may be used interchangeably.
DD. “Pet shop” means any person, establishment, store or department of any store that acquires live animals, including birds, reptiles, fowl and fish, and sells or rents, or offers to sell or rent, the live animals to the public or to retail outlets.
EE. “Private animal placement permit” means a permit or permits issued to qualified persons engaged in fostering dogs and cats, to allow them to possess more dogs and cats than is otherwise specified in SMC 20.40.240.
FF. Restraint. An animal is considered to be under restraint if it is maintained and remains within the property limits of its owner or keeper.
GG. “Rules and regulations of the animal care and control authority” means such rules and regulations, consistent with the intent of this chapter, as may be adopted by the animal care and control authority.
HH. “Service animal” means any animal that is individually trained to perform tasks for people with disabilities.
II. “Special hobby kennel license” means a license issued under certain conditions to pet owners, who do not meet the requirements for a hobby kennel license, to allow them to retain only those specific dogs and cats then in their possession until such time as the death or transfer of the animals reduces the number they possess to the legal limit in SMC 20.40.240.
JJ. “Under control” means the animal is either under competent voice control or competent signal control, or both, so as to be restrained from approaching any bystander or other animal and from causing or being the cause of physical property damage when off a leash or off the premises of the owner.
KK. “Vicious” means having performed the act of, or having the propensity to do any act, endangering the safety of any person, animal or property of another, including, but not limited to, biting a human being or attacking a human being or domesticated animal without provocation. [Ord. 920 § 2 (Exh. B), 2021; Ord. 595 § 2 (Att. A), 2011]