Dunsmuir Municipal Code Ch. 6.04 General Provisions

As used in this title, the following words and terms shall have the following meaning:

"Animal" means any wild or domestic mammal, bird, reptile or other vertebrate, excluding fish.

Animal, Noisy. "Noisy animal" means any animal or combination of animals that habitually, unnecessarily and unreasonably disturbs the peace and quietude of any neighbor or person by howling, crying, or making other noise.

Animal, Stray. "Stray animal" means any animal off the premises of its owner, not under restraint, and not in the immediate presence of its owner or person(s) of reasonable responsibility.

Animal, Vicious. "Vicious animal" means any animal which shows a propensity to attack, bite, scratch or harass people or other animals without provocation.

"Animal control officer" means the code enforcement officer or such other official as may be designated by resolution of the city council.

Animal, Wild. "Wild animal" means any wild, exotic, dangerous or venomous animal including snakes, reptiles, mammals, fowl and fish. Wild animal would also include vicious animals including dogs and cats over which the owner has evidenced a failure to maintain control.

"At large" means any animal off the premises of its owner and not under direct control of the owner or some responsible person authorized by such owner.

"Cat" means and includes any member of the feline family and shall include male and female gender, whether neutered, spayed, or otherwise.

"Dog" means any member of the canine family, and shall also include both male and female gender, whether neutered, spayed, or otherwise.

Dog, Guard. "Guard dog" means any dog used for the purpose of guard duty.

Dog, Unlicensed. "Unlicensed dog" means any dog for which the license fee for the current year has not been paid and to which the dog license tag provided for in this title is not properly attached.

"Horse" includes mule, burro, pony, jack, hinny or jenny.

"Impoundment" means the picking up of any animal by a duly authorized person and bringing such animal into a shelter for custody, confinement and disposition.

"Kennel" means any lot, building, structure, enclosure, or premises whereupon, or wherein more than four dogs and/or cats over four months of age, or other animals, are kept or maintained for any purpose. Kennels may be commercial or private.

1. "Commercial kennel" means a kennel where animals are boarded and bred, and/or kept for sale or for hire.

2. "Private kennel" means any other kennel, except that rodents, birds and reptiles that are kept only inside a residence shall not be counted.

3. Commercial kennels shall require use permits and business license, and private kennels shall require permits. Forms and fees may be approved and set by resolution of the city council.

"Livestock" means and includes, but is not limited to, cows, bulls, calves, heifers, sheep, goats, swine, hogs, pigs, and all other domestic or domesticated animals other than household pets.

"Owner" means any person having a title to any animal, or a person who has, harbors or keeps, or who causes or permits to be harbored or kept, an animal in his care, or who permits an animal to remain on or about his premises, except persons holding found animals for transfer to a duly authorized public agency. Such persons shall have notified the animal control officer that the animal is being held and shall give a complete description of the animal including time and place of finding. Such animals must be surrendered to the animal control officer at his request.

"Person" means and includes any firm, partnership, corporation, trust or association or person.

"Pet shop" means any places of business wheredogs, cats, monkeys, birds, fish, reptiles, or any other animal used as pets, are kept for sale.

"Poundmaster" means the code enforcement officer or such other official as may be designated by resolution of the city council.

"Quarantine" means the taking up and impound of an animal in the designated shelter by the poundmaster or his agents for a period prescribed by the Siskiyou County health department, the confinement of an animal by the keeping of it in a substantial pen, or the tieing of it with a stout chain on the property of the owner of said animal, so that the animal does not come into contact with any other animal or human being for a period of fourteen (14) days.

"Senior citizen" means a person of age sixty-two (62) or older.

"Vaccination" means a protective inoculation against rabies with an antirabies vaccine recognized and approved by the Siskiyou County health department.

(Prior code § 3-1; Ord. 492 § 1, 1994; Ord. No. 549, § 1, 7-30-2015)

In the event of emergencies such as the declaration of a rabid area by the State Health Department Officer, the state laws dealing with such conditions shall be recognized and enforced in conjunction with this chapter, or if necessary shall supersede the provisions of this chapter.

(Prior code § 3-4; Ord. No. 549, § 1, 7-30-2015)

Violations of the requirements of this title shall be infractions, with the same maximum fines as set forth in code Section 1.08.010. Violation of Section 6.04.050 shall further be punishable by minimum fines of thirty dollars ($30.00) for a first offense, sixty dollars ($60.00) for a second conviction within one year, and one hundred twenty ($120.00) for a third or subsequent conviction within one year.

(Prior code § 3-12a; Ord. No. 549, § 1, 7-30-2015)