§ 462.201. Cruelty to animals defined generally.

It shall be unlawful for any person to cause, procure or inflict cruelty to or upon animals, whether or not such cruelty results in severe injury or death. For purposes of this Part, it shall be considered causing, procuring and/or inflicting cruelty, if one or more of the following occurs:

(a)

Beating, tormenting, torturing, mutilating, molesting, sodomizing, maiming, overloading, overworking or overdriving an animal; or

(b)

Riding, driving or working the animal when it is sick and unfit to work; or;

(c)

Intentionally trying (by use of a wire, pole, stick, rope or other) to cause a horse or a household pet to fall or lose its balance, or felling, roping or lassoing a horse's or a household pet's legs for the purpose of entertainment or sport; or

(d)

Carrying any animal in or upon any vehicle in any way so as not to provide for the protection and, safety of the animal being carried including, but not limited to, carrying an animal in the back of an open truck or other open vehicle without being safely tethered in two or more locations so as to avoid injury or jumping from the vehicle and without protecting the animal from inclement weather or weather extremes; or

(e)

Any act, omission or neglect whereby unnecessary or unjustifiable pain or suffering is caused, permitted or allowed to continue when there is reasonable remedy or relief.

(f)

A violation of this Section shall subject the violator to a civil fine of no less than the amount designated in Chapter 462, Part 18. Each separate incident is considered a separate violation. The animal control officer may cite the owner or custodian of such animal(s) for a violation of this Section when either the animal control officer has received, from two or more unrelated adult witnesses residing at different residences or from one adult witness with a recorded video or photograph showing the alleged violation, a sworn affidavit attesting to the neglect and/or abandonment of the animal(s) pursuant to this Section, or the citing animal control officer has directly observed the commission of such violation. All fines collected from violations of this Part shall be deposited into the Training and Cruelty Prevention Trust Fund.

(Ord. 2004-259-E, § 1; Ord. 2010-527-E, § 3; Ord. 2016-405-E , § 1)