Mendota Municipal Code Ch. 6.24 Animal Care

It is unlawful for the owners or persons having custody of any animal to permit, either willfully or through failure to exercise due care or control, any cruel acts upon any animal. "Cruel acts" are defined as follows:

A. To place, leave or expose, making accessible to animals, any poisonous substance;

B. To have, keep, or harbor any animal which is infected with any dangerous or incurable or painfully crippling condition, except as hereinafter provided. All such diseased or crippled animals with an incurable ailment taken into custody of the city shall be transferred to the poundmaster for impoundment. This section shall not apply to animals within veterinary hospitals or under the care of a veterinarian, or having been diagnosed with any common, incurable disease where impoundment or quarantine is not recommended by a doctor of veterinary medicine;

C. To fail, refuse, or neglect to provide any animal in their charge or custody as owner or otherwise, with food, drink, shade or weatherproof housing facilities, or to carry any animal in or upon any vehicle in a cruel or inhumane manner;

D. To willfully, or maliciously kill, maim, disfigure, tease, torture, beat with a stick, chain, club, or other object, mutilate, burn, scald with any substance, overdrive or other cruelty set upon any animal, except that a reasonable force may be employed to drive off vicious or trespassing animals;

E. To hobble livestock or other animals by means of chains which are composed of tempered or other permanent wire links;

F. To drive or work any animal in a cruel manner when such animal is unfit for such work;

G. To promote, stage, hold, manage, conduct, carry on, or attend any game, exhibition, contest, or fight in which one or more animals are engaged for the purpose of injuring, killing, maiming, or destroying themselves or any other animal or person;

H. No person shall keep upon any premises, any animals in a foul, offensive, obnoxious, filthy or unsanitary condition.

(Ord. No. 10-10, § 2, 1-11-2011)

No person shall keep, harbor or maintain upon his premises within the city more than a total of three dogs over the age of four months unless such person shall obtain a kennel permit in addition to obtaining a license for each dog more than four months of age and shall comply with the kenneling permit requirements of this chapter, unless such person comes within one of the following conditions:

A. Upon reasonable showing of necessity to the animal control officer, a person may be permitted to keep a dog for a period of time not to exceed thirty (30) days;

B. A person who had on or before the effective date of this chapter, four or more licensed dogs in the city shall be required to obtain a yearly kennel permit pursuant to Section 6.44.030 of this code. The requirement of obtaining a kennel permit shall be effective ninety (90) days after the effective date of this chapter.

(Ord. No. 10-10, § 2, 1-11-2011)

It is unlawful for any person having the care or possession of a dog or any other animal to allow or permit the dog or other animal to run at large within the city. Any domesticated animal found running at large may be impounded per Chapter 6.36.

(Ord. No. 10-10, § 2, 1-11-2011)

A. It is unlawful for any dog to be kept in the city, which dog shall by loud or excessive barking, howling, whining or making any other noise disturb the comfort or quiet of any neighborhood or any person; provided that the owner has been made aware of the disturbance created by the dog.

B. No person shall keep or maintain, or cause or permit to be kept or maintained upon any premises, any dog which by habitual and continual barking, howling or whining shall disturb the peace and comfort of any neighborhood or interfere with the reasonable and comfortable enjoyment of life or property by any person.

C. No person shall keep or maintain, or cause or permit to be kept or maintained, any dog owned by him or in his possession or under his control which habitually commits a nuisance upon the property of any other person.

(Ord. No. 10-10, § 2, 1-11-2011)