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Part 60
60.000 ANIMAL TREATMENT AND CONTROL* Ord. No. 6a Adopted: April 2, 1973
---------- *Cross reference(s)--Penalty for ordinance violation, Pt. 1; animal control in parks, § 51.003; animal restrictions, Pt. 61; burial of dead animals, Pt. 62; animal and bird noises, § 72.001. ----------
An ordinance to regulate the treatment and control of
animals within the City limits.
THE CITY OF READING ORDAINS THAT:
(A)
60A.000 ANIMALS
60A.001 Cruelty to animals.
Sec. 1. No person shall cruelly treat or abuse any animal or
bird.
60A.002 Poisoning animals.
Sec. 2. No person shall throw or deposit any poisonous
substance on any exposed public or private place where it
endangers, or is likely to endanger, any animal or bird.
60A.003 Birds and birds' nests.
Sec. 3. No person, except a police officer acting in his
official capacity, shall molest, injure, kill or capture any wild
bird, or molest or disturb any wild bird's nest or the contents
thereof.
60A.004 Riding horses, etc.
Sec. 4. No person shall ride, drive or lead any horse, pony,
donkey or mule other than in the traveled roadway of streets and
public ways except when upon privately owned property with the
consent of the owner.
(B)
60B.000 DOGS
60B.001 Definitions.
Sec. 1. The following terms when used in this Chapter shall
have the meanings set forth in this section:
(a) The word "owner" when applied to the proprietorship of
a dog shall include every person having a right of
property in such dog, and every person who keeps or
harbors such dog or has it in his care, and every
person who permits such dog to remain in or about any
premises occupied by him.
(b) "Reasonable control" shall mean: Keeping a dog on
suitable leash or under the oral control of the owner
or custodian or some other person with the permission
of the owner or custodian, in all cases other than
while upon private property, or unless the dog is
confined in a closed automobile or shipping receptacle.
60B.002 Dogs--Running at large.
Sec. 2. No person owning any dog, four (4) months of age or
over, shall permit such dog to be at large at any time in the
City in violation of any of the following restrictions:
(a) No person shall permit any vicious dog of which he is
the owner to be unconfined unless securely muzzled and
led by a leash. Any dog shall be deemed vicious which
has bitten a person or domestic animal without
molestation, or, which, by its actions gives indication
that it is liable to bite any person or domestic animal
without molestation.
(b) No person who is the owner of any female dog shall
permit or allow such female dog to go beyond the
premises of such owner when said dog is in heat.
(c) No person who is the owner of any dog shall permit it
to be unconfined unless under the reasonable control of
some person.
(d) No person who is the owner of any dog shall permit it
to be unconfined at any time unless licensed as
required by law and unless wearing its license tag.
(e) No person shall own any dog which by loud or frequent
or habitual barking, yelping or howling, shall cause
annoyance to the people in the neighborhood.
60B.003 Seizure and impounding of dogs.
Sec. 3. Any dog found at large in the City which is doing
any of the acts enumerated in Section 2 may be seized and
impounded by the dog warden or any police officer of the City.
60B.004 Dogs--Rabies prevention.
Sec. 4. Any person who shall have in his possession a dog
which has contracted rabies or which has been subjected to the
same or which is suspected of having rabies or which has bitten
any person, shall upon demand of the Police Department or the
Health Officer, produce and surrender such dog to be held for
observation as hereinafter provided.
60B.005 Dogs--Exposure to rabies--Notice.
Sec. 5. It shall be the duty of any person owing or
harboring a dog which has been attacked or bitten by another dog
or other animal showing the symptoms of rabies, immediately to
notify the Police Department of his possession of such dog.
60B.006 Dogs--Impounding and release.
Sec. 6. Any dog impounded for observation for rabies shall
be held until released by the Health Officer or otherwise
disposed of. Any dog impounded for having bitten any person shall
be held for not less than five (5) days and in case any complaint
shall have been made before any Court asking that said dog be
killed or confined, then said dog shall be confined until the
case is finally disposed of.
60B.007 Notice to owner.
Sec. 7. It shall be the duty of the dog warden to notify the
owner of every dog which shall be impounded, if the owner of such
dog can be ascertained, as soon as possible after said dog has
been impounded.
60B.008 Dogs released from the dog pound.
Sec. 8. No dog shall be released from the pound unless the
owner or persons entitled to claim the same shall pay the fees
established by the Hillsdale County Animal Shelter.
60B.009 Dogs--Licenses.
Sec. 9. No person shall keep possession of, or harbor any
dog over three (3) months of age unless such dog shall wear a
collar to which is attached the license tag provided for by the
laws of the State of Michigan. This license shall be attained at
the office of the County Treasurer.
Effective date. This Ordinance to take effect 10 days after adoption by the City Council.
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