<div class="chunk-title">Sec. 4-51. - Definitions.</div>
<div class="chunk-content">
            <p class="p0">
               The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this article, shall have the
               meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates
               a different meaning:
               
            </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Attack by a dog</span> means any assault or battery by a dog upon a person or domestic animal, to include
               biting, felling or toppling, tearing of clothing, provoking flight to escape attack,
               or any other act which could reasonably cause physical injury to the person or domestic
               animal.
               
            </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Bite by a dog</span> means any seizing, gripping or grasping, no matter how slight or momentary, by a
               dog between its jaws of the body parts of a person or domestic animal, so as to cause
               physical injury to such person or domestic animal. This does not include playful behavior
               by a puppy that is welcome and not likely to cause any injury, fear or harm to the
               person or animal.
               
            </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Dangerous dog</span> means any of the following dogs:
               
               <p class="incr1">
                  (1)
                  
               </p>
               		
               <p class="content2">
                  A dog that without provocation has killed or inflicted severe injury on a person;
                  
               </p>
               		
               
               <p class="incr1">
                  (2)
                  
               </p>
               		
               <p class="content2">
                  A dog that has been determined, as provided herein, to be potentially dangerous;
                  
               </p>
               		
               
               <p class="incr1">
                  (3)
                  
               </p>
               		
               <p class="content2">
                  A dog that is owned or harbored primarily or in part for the purpose of dog fighting,
                  or a dog trained for dog fighting.
                  
               </p>
               		
               
            
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Dog</span> means a domesticated animal (canis familiaris) of the Canidae family; provided, that
               no wild species of the Canidae family, such as a wolf, fox, or coyote, shall be considered
               a domesticated animal, even though raised by humans in domestic surroundings.
               
            </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Guard dog</span> means a dog trained by a skilled trainer to recognized security industry or other
               reasonable standards and presently used under the control of trained handlers to protect
               persons and property.
               
            </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Law enforcement dog</span> means a dog, trained for police work to recognized law enforcement standards and
               presently used by and under the control of a law enforcement officer to carry out
               the law enforcement officer's official duties.
               
            </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Lawful hunt</span> means a hunt for lawful game conducted on private or public property with the consent
               of the owner or custodian of the property by a person with a valid license (if required)
               during the lawful season for the game concerned using dogs customarily employed and
               suitable for such game.
               
            </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Owner</span> means any person or legal entity that has a possessory property right in a dog, including
               the harborer or keeper of a dog with the consent of the owner or of a dog that has
               been abandoned by or escaped the custody of its owner.
               
            </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Owner's real property</span> means any real property owned or leased by the owner of the dog, not including any
               public right-of-way or a common area of a condominium, apartment complex, or townhouse
               development.
               
            </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Potentially dangerous dog</span> means a dog that has been determined, as provided herein, to have:
               
               <p class="incr1">
                  (1)
                  
               </p>
               		
               <p class="content2">
                  Inflicted a bite on a person that resulted in broken bones or disfiguring lacerations
                  or required cosmetic surgery or hospitalization;
                  
               </p>
               		
               
               <p class="incr1">
                  (2)
                  
               </p>
               		
               <p class="content2">
                  Killed or inflicted severe injury upon a domestic animal when not on the real property
                  of the owner of the dog; or
                  
               </p>
               		
               
               <p class="incr1">
                  (3)
                  
               </p>
               		
               <p class="content2">
                  Attacked a person or approached a person when unrestrained and not on the owner's
                  property in a vicious or terrorizing manner in an apparent attitude of attack.
                  
               </p>
               		
               
            
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Severe injury</span> means any physical injury that results in broken bones or disfiguring lacerations
               or requires cosmetic surgery or hospitalization.
               
            </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Territorial jurisdiction of the county</span> means all territory within the boundaries of the County of Martin, North Carolina,
               except the incorporated area of a municipality, unless such municipality has consented
               to the application and enforcement of this article in such areas.
               
            </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Vicious dog</span> means a dangerous dog, as defined herein, that after having once committed an act
               making it a dangerous dog or having been determined hereunder to be a dangerous dog,
               commits a subsequent attack on a person or domestic animal.
               
            </p>
            <p class="historynote0">
               (Ord. No. 2008-5, Â§ I, 6-11-2008)
               
            </p></div>