<div class="chunk-title">Sec. 14-13. - Cruel treatment prohibited.</div>
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            <p class="incr0">
               (a)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content1">
               <span class="ital">Molestation, torture, etc., prohibited.</span> It shall be unlawful for any person to molest, torture, torment, deprive of necessary
               sustenance, cruelly beat or treat, needlessly mutilate or kill, wound, injure, poison,
               abandon or subject to conditions detrimental to its health or general welfare any
               animal or to cause or procure such action. The words "torture" and "torment" and the
               term "cruelly beat or treat" shall be held to include any act, omission or neglect
               whereby unjustifiable physical pain, suffering or death is caused or permitted; but
               such terms shall not be construed to prohibit an animal control officer, or veterinarians
               from euthanizing dangerous, unwanted, or injured animals in a humane manner. Violations
               of this subsection shall be designated a Class I misdemeanor.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr0">
               (b)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content1">
               <span class="ital">Luring, enticing, seizing, molesting or teasing an animal.</span> It shall be unlawful for any person to entice or lure any animal out of an enclosure
               or off the property of its owner or keeper, or to seize, molest or tease any animal
               while the animal is held or controlled by its owner or keeper, or while the animal
               is on the property of its owner or keeper. Such actions of luring, enticing and seizing
               shall not be construed to prohibit lawful taking of animals under the jurisdiction
               and regulations of this chapter by duly authorized animal control officers.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr0">
               (c)
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            <p class="content1">
               <span class="ital">Abandonment.</span> It shall be unlawful for any owner or person responsible for any domestic animal
               to drop or leave such animal on a street, road, highway, or in a public place or on
               private property with intent to abandon without provision for its continuous care,
               sustenance and shelter. No owner of a domestic animal shall abandon such animal except
               to relinquish the animal to the animal shelter. If the animal control unit finds that
               a domestic animal has been abandoned, the animal may be impounded. If the domestic
               animal has been abandoned in a house or within a fenced area, the animal control unit
               must make a reasonable effort to locate the owner or manager of the property. If the
               property owner or manager is not the animal owner, then the animal control unit shall
               secure permission to remove the animal. If the property owner is also the animal owner
               and this individual cannot be located, the animal control unit shall post notice on
               the door of the individual's residence for the period of 72 hours. An animal seized
               pursuant to this section shall be impounded for a period of five days. If the owner
               contacts the animal control unit to reclaim the animal, an explanation for the animal's
               abandonment must be provided to the satisfaction of the animal control supervisor
               before the animal is allowed to be reclaimed. If the animal is unclaimed by its owner
               after five days, the animal shall be placed for adoption or euthanized.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr0">
               (d)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content1">
               <span class="ital">Transport of animals.</span> It shall be unlawful for any person to transport an animal in the trunk of a vehicle,
               or closed compartment vehicle or trailer, or in a truck or the back of a truck in
               such a way as to cause pain, suffering, or death to the animal. Nothing in this section
               shall be deemed to prohibit the humane transportation of horses, cattle, sheep, poultry
               or other livestock in trailers or other vehicles designed, constructed, and adequate
               for the size and number of animals being transported.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr0">
               (e)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content1">
               <span class="ital">Inspection of pet stores.</span> Animal control officers shall have the authority to conduct inspections of pet stores,
               to the extent not pre-empted by state law, in order to determine if there is abuse
               of animals. Abuse of animals shall include any act described in this section or any
               other act which is detrimental to the well-being of the animal. It shall be unlawful
               for any pet store employee or owner to violate this section.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr0">
               (f)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content1">
               <span class="ital">Authority to use force against animals.</span> Nothing in this section shall prohibit the use of force against an animal which is
               in the act of attacking a human or domestic animal.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="historynote0">
               (Ord. of 1-7-02; Res. of 12-2-19(1), Â§ 8)
               </p></div>