|
ARTICLE II. ANIMAL CONTROL
Sec. 14-31. Running at large prohibited.
(a) It shall be the duty of the owner of any animal or anyone having an
animal in his
possession to keep the animal under control at all times while the animal
is off the real
property limits of the owner, possessor or custodian. For the purposes of
this section, an
animal is deemed under control when it is confined within a vehicle; is
secured by a leash
or other device held by a competent person; is under voice control; or is
properly
confined within an enclosure with permission of the owner of the property
where the
enclosure is located.
(b) No person shall tie, stake or fasten any animal within any street,
alley, sidewalk or
other public place or in such manner that the animal has access to any
portion of any
street, alley, sidewalk or other public place.
(c) Every female dog or cat in heat shall be confined in a building or
other enclosure in
such manner that such female dog or cat cannot come into contact with
another male
animal except for planned breeding.
(d) Every animal shall be restrained or controlled so as to prevent it
from chasing
vehicles or attacking persons or other domestic animals.
(e) The owner or custodian of any animal that is proven to be at large
shall be in
violation of this section, regardless of the precautions taken to prevent
the escape of the
animal and regardless of lack of knowledge of the offense at the time it
occurs.
(f) Any such animal at large may be impounded by the animal control
officer or an
authorized representative thereof.
(g) Any animal with no known keeper (e.g., feral cats) shall be considered
"at large"
and subject to impoundment.
(Ord. No. 11, § 11-3, 3-11-2002)
Sec. 14-32. Duty to keep animal under restraint while on property.
It shall be the duty of every owner of any animal to ensure that it is
confined by way of a
fence or other enclosure, including activated invisible fence, or is
restrained by chain or
leash or, in some other physical manner, under the control of a competent
person so that
it cannot wander off the real property limits of the owner, it being the
intent of this article
that all animals be prevented from leaving, while unattended, the real
property limits of
their owners.
(Ord. No. 11, § 11-4, 3-11-2002)
Forsyth County Animal Control Page 2
Sec. 14-35. Animals disturbing the peace.
(a) No owner or keeper of an animal shall allow an animal to annoy or
disturb any
person not on the premises of the owner or keeper of the animal by
unreasonable barking
or other noises. For the purpose of this section, unreasonable barking or
other noises shall
mean barks, bays, cries, howls or other noises that are continuous or
incessant for a
period of 30 minutes, or are intermittent for a period of one hour or
more. Barking or
noises shall not be considered unreasonable if the animal is responding to
a trespass or
attempted trespass on private property. This section shall have no
application to noises or
disturbances made by livestock, poultry, or other animals emanating from a
legitimate
farming operation on property zoned for agricultural use.
(b) Any person that knowingly keeps, owns, harbors, has custody or control
of, or acts
as custodian of an animal that constitutes a nuisance shall be guilty of
an unlawful act and
shall be punished as provided in this chapter.
(Ord. No. 11, § 11-7, 3-11-2002)
Cross references: Enumeration of prohibited noise, § 34-154.
Sec. 14-36. Enforcement.
Enforcement authority of this chapter shall be vested with the animal
control officer or
any other duly authorized sheriff's deputy of the county. Enforcement
shall be based upon
a complaint lodged with the county sheriff's office. In carrying out the
duties of this
chapter the county sheriff's office may employ equipment, including but
not limited to
control poles, nets, leashes of any construction, chemical capture
devices, snakes tongs,
oleoresin capsicum aerosols, snake hooks, humane traps, collapsible
batons, firearms and
metal carrying cages.
(Ord. No. 11, § 11-8, 3-11-2002)
Sec. 14-39. Same--Penalties.
Any person who violates any provision of this article shall be subject,
upon conviction, to
be punished as provided in section 1-12. If state law is modified to
provide for greater
penalties for ordinance violations, such increased penalties shall become
automatically
effective with respect to this section.
(Ord. No. 11, § 11-11, 3-11-2002)
Sec. 1-12. General penalty; continuing violations.
(a) Whenever in this Code or in any other ordinance of the county any act
is prohibited
or is made or declared to be unlawful or an offense, or the doing of any
act is required or
the failure to do any act is declared to be unlawful, where no specific
penalty is provided,
the violation of such provision shall be punishable by the imposition of a
fine not to
exceed $1,000.00, by imprisonment in the county jail for a period of time
not to exceed
60 days, or by both such fine and imprisonment, or up to the limits of any
penalty
provided by state law for the ordinance.
(b) Each day any violation of this Code or other ordinance shall continue
shall
constitute a separate offense.HELP US TO SAY "NO"
|
|
