§ 14-36. Animal care; manner of keeping.

1.

No person who is the owner or possessor or who has charge or custody of an animal shall fail to provide:

A.

Shelter (as defined herein) for the animal;

B.

Water (as defined herein) for the animal. An animal confined outdoors shall have a continuous supply of clean, fresh, and potable water, unless the animal is under the direct supervision of a responsible person at events such as dog or cat shows or field trials. In such cases, the responsible person shall ensure sufficient water is provided to the animal in order to maintain normal hydration for the species of animal;

C.

Clean, sanitary, safe and humane conditions;

D.

Medical attention and/or necessary veterinary care when an animal is sick, diseased or injured; Upon request by the Division, written proof of veterinary care must be provided;

E.

Adequate sustenance (as defined herein) to any animal;

F.

Grooming (as defined herein) for the animal; and

G.

Humane care and treatment.

2.

No person shall engage in animal hoarding.

3.

Shelter for equine, bovine, ovine and porcine normally maintained in outdoor areas must:

A.

Provide protection from the direct rays of the sun and the direct effect of wind and rain;

B.

Provide a wind break and rain break;

C.

Provide a solid roof;

D.

Provide protection from the elements at all times; and

E.

Provide space for each animal to comfortably stand up, sit down, lie down and turn around in the shelter. If the shelter is used for more than one (1) animal at the same time, it must provide enough space for each animal to comfortably stand up, sit down, lie down and turn around simultaneously.

4.

It shall be unlawful for any person maintaining equine or ovine to fail to keep hooves trimmed so as to prevent lameness and extreme overgrowth causing deformities.

5.

To keep horses, cattle, or other livestock in a manner inconsistent with recognized livestock husbandry practices.

6.

It shall be unlawful for the owner of an animal to allow or permit his or her animal:

A.

To be abandoned. Abandonment shall constitute the relinquishment of all rights and claims by the Owner to such animal in accordance with F.S. § 705.19. Community Cats shall not be considered abandoned when returned to the original point of pick-up or other suitable location as part of a community cat management program.

B.

To be confined in an unattended motor vehicle without sufficient ventilation or under other conditions for such periods of time as may endanger the health and/or physical well-being of the animal due to heat, lack of potable water, or such other circumstances as may reasonably cause suffering, disability, or death to the animal.

7.

An Animal Control Officer shall free any animal left unattended in a motor vehicle if the animal appears to be in imminent danger or distress or if the interior of the vehicle reaches a temperature of eighty (80) degrees Fahrenheit or higher for a period of five (5) minutes or longer. The Animal Control Officer shall first attempt to locate the owner. If unable to do so in a reasonable time, with due consideration given as to the peril to the animal, the Animal Control Officer shall free the animal in a manner which is calculated to cause the least damage to the vehicle as necessary to safely remove the animal. Once freed, the animal is to be brought to an animal services center, or veterinarian, and the Owner promptly notified.

8.

No person shall transport or carry any dog or other animal in a motor vehicle unless the animal is safely enclosed within the vehicle or trailer. If a person is transporting or carrying an animal in an unenclosed or partially enclosed vehicle including, but not limited to, convertibles, pick-up and flat-bed trucks, the person shall confine the animal in a container, case, or other device that is of proper and adequate size to prevent the animal from falling from or jumping from the motor vehicle.

9.

Nothing in this section shall be deemed to prohibit the transportation of horses, cattle, sheep, poultry or other agricultural livestock in trailers or other vehicles designed and constructed for such purposes.

10.

Any enclosure used as a primary means of confinement for a dog must meet the definition of proper enclosure as stated in this Ordinance. It shall be unlawful for a responsible party to tether a dog while outdoors, except when all of the following conditions are met. This section shall not apply to the transportation of dogs:

A.

The dog is in visual range of the responsible party, and the responsible party is located outside with the dog.

B.

The tether is connected to the dog by a buckle-type collar or a body harness made of nylon or leather, not less than one inch in width.

C.

The tether has the following properties: It is at least five times the length of the dog's body, as measured from the tip of the nose to the base of the tail; it terminates at both ends with a swivel; it does not weigh more than 1/8 of the dog's weight; and it is free of tangles.

D.

The dog is tethered in such a manner as to prevent injury, strangulation, or entanglement.

E.

The dog is not outside during a period of extreme weather, including without limitation extreme heat or near-freezing temperatures, thunderstorms, tornadoes, tropical storms or hurricanes.

F.

The dog has access to water, shelter and dry ground.

G.

The dog is at least six months of age. Dogs under six (6) months of age shall not be tethered.

H.

The dog is not sick or injured.

I.

Pulley, running line, or trolley systems are at least 15 feet in length and are less than 7 feet above the ground.

J.

If there are multiple dogs, each dog is tethered separately.

11.

Any enclosure used as the primary confinement of cats shall provide the following conditions:

A.

Cats must be provided access to a receptacle containing sufficient clean litter for excreta and body wastes.

B.

Cats must be provided solid resting surface(s) that are large enough to hold all cats comfortably.

12.

The Director shall impound or make the subject of an order to provide care any animal found to be cruelly treated as defined in this Ordinance or under Florida Law, as outlined in F.S. § 828.073, as may be amended.

13.

Whoever violates any provision of this section shall forfeit his right to license any additional animals in the County for one year in addition to any other penalty provided by this Ordinance or otherwise by law. Any ownership of such animals without benefit of a license shall be deemed an additional violation of this Ordinance.

(Ord. No. 2018-33, § 1)