Municipal Code

Chapter 56 – Dangerous and Vicious Animals

Regulations governing the keeping, seizure, impoundment, and disposition of dangerous and vicious animals within the City.

Contents 56.01 56.02 56.03 56.04

Chapter 56

Dangerous and Vicious Animals

Chapter Contents

56.01 Definitions

56.03 Keeping of Vicious Animals Prohibited

56.02 Keeping of Dangerous Animals Prohibited

56.04 Seizure, Impoundment and Disposition

56.01 DEFINITIONS.

For use in this chapter, the following terms are defined:

1. "Dangerous animal" means:

A. Badgers, wolverines, weasels, mink and other Mustelids (except ferrets);

B. Bats;

C. Black widow spiders and scorpions;

D. Raccoons, opossums and skunks;

E. Any dog that has been trained for dog fighting, animal fighting or animal baiting, or is owned or kept for such purposes;

F. Any dog trained to attack human beings upon command or spontaneously in response to human activities except dogs owned by and under the control of the police department, a law enforcement agency of the State of Iowa or the United States or a branch of the armed forces of the United States;

G. The American Pit Bull Terrier breed of dog;

H. The American Staffordshire Terrier breed of dog;

I. Any dog which has the appearance and characteristics of being predominantly of the breeds of American Pit Bull Terrier or American Staffordshire Terrier.

2. "Vicious animal" means any animal, except for a dangerous animal per se, as listed above, that has bitten or clawed a person or persons while running at large and the attack was unprovoked, or any animal that has exhibited vicious tendencies in present or past conduct, including such that said animal (a) has bitten or clawed a person or persons on two separate occasions within a twelve-month period; or (b) did bite or claw once causing injuries above the shoulders of a person; or (c) could not be controlled or restrained by the owner at the time of the attack to prevent the occurrence; or (d) has attacked any domestic animal or fowl on three separate occasions within a twelve-month period.

56.02 KEEPING OF DANGEROUS ANIMALS PROHIBITED.

No person shall keep, shelter or harbor any dangerous animal as a pet, or act as a temporary custodian for such animal, or keep, shelter or harbor such animal within the City. Persons who owned, possessed or kept a dangerous animal on the effective date of this chapter are permitted to continue to own, possess or keep those animals only, but are not permitted to replace an animal which dies, is sold, transferred or otherwise disposed of.

56.03 KEEPING OF VICIOUS ANIMALS PROHIBITED.

No person shall keep, shelter or harbor for any reason within the City a vicious animal except in the following circumstances:

1. Animals under the control of a law enforcement or military agency.

2. The keeping of guard dogs; however, guard dogs must be kept within a structure or fixed enclosure at all times, and any guard dog found at large may be processed as a vicious animal pursuant to the provisions of this chapter. Any premises guarded by a guard dog shall be prominently posted with a sign containing the wording "Guard Dog," "Vicious Dog" or words of similar import, and the owner of such premises shall inform the local law enforcement officers that a guard dog is on duty at said premises.

56.04 SEIZURE, IMPOUNDMENT AND DISPOSITION.

1. In the event that a dangerous animal or vicious animal is found at large and unattended upon public property, park property, public right-of-way or the property of someone other than its owner, thereby creating a hazard to persons or property, such animal may, in the discretion of the Mayor or peace officer, be destroyed if it cannot be confined or captured. The City shall be under no duty to attempt the confinement or capture of a dangerous animal or vicious animal found at large, nor shall it have a duty to notify the owner of such animal prior to its destruction.

2. Upon the complaint of any individual that a person is keeping, sheltering or harboring a dangerous animal or vicious animal on premises in the City, the Mayor shall cause the matter to be investigated and if after investigation, the facts indicate that the person named in the complaint is keeping, sheltering or harboring a dangerous or vicious animal in the City, the Mayor shall order the person named in the complaint to safely remove such animal from the City or destroy the animal within three (3) days of the receipt of such an order. Such order shall be contained in a notice to remove the dangerous or vicious animal, which notice shall be given in writing to the person keeping, sheltering or harboring the dangerous animal or vicious animal, and shall be served personally or by certified mail. Such order and notice to remove the dangerous animal or vicious animal shall not be required where such animal has previously caused serious physical harm or death to any person, in which case the Mayor shall cause the animal to be immediately seized and impounded or killed if seizure and impoundment are not possible without risk of serious physical harm or death to any person.

3. The order to remove a dangerous animal or vicious animal issued by the Mayor may be appealed to the Council. In order to appeal such order, written notice of appeal must be filed with the Clerk within three (3) days after receipt of the order contained in the notice to remove the dangerous or vicious animal. Failure to file such written notice of appeal shall constitute a waiver of the right to appeal the order of the Mayor.

4. The notice of appeal shall state the grounds for such appeal and shall be delivered personally or by certified mail to the Clerk. The hearing of such appeal shall be scheduled within seven (7) days of the receipt of the notice of appeal. The hearing may be continued for good cause. After such hearing, the Council may affirm or reverse the order of the Mayor. Such determination shall be contained in a written decision and shall be filed with the Clerk within three (3) days after the hearing or any continued session thereof.

5. If the Council affirms the action of the Mayor, the Council shall order in its written decision that the person owning, sheltering, harboring or keeping such dangerous or vicious animal remove such animal from the City or destroy it. The decision and order shall immediately be served upon the person against whom rendered in the same manner as the notice of removal. If the original order of the Mayor is not appealed and is not complied with within three (3) days or the order of the Council after appeal is not complied with within three (3) days of its issuance, the Mayor is authorized to seize, impound or destroy such dangerous or vicious animal. Failure to comply with an order of the Mayor issued pursuant to this chapter and not appealed, or of the Council after appeal, constitutes a simple misdemeanor.

(Ch. 56 – Ord. 337 – Dec. 07 Supp.)