§ 6-6. Cruelty to animals.

(a)

No owner, keeper or agent of an animal shall fail to provide the animal with adequate food, water, shelter or veterinary care, or restrain the animal by any means other than those defined in this chapter.

(b)

No animal shall be kept in unsanitary conditions, or in areas where there is vermin-harboring debris or other material which can provide an opportunity for injury or a danger to the animal's health or welfare.

(c)

No animal in the care, custody, or control of a person shall be neglected, beaten, cruelly treated, tormented, overworked, overloaded, abused, mutilated or killed.

(d)

It shall be unlawful for any person or owner, or group of persons, to abuse, cause bloodletting or death of an animal.

(e)

It shall be unlawful for any person to molest or penetrate an animal or use the body parts of an animal for sexual gratification.

(f)

It shall be unlawful to procure an animal for the purposes set forth in subsections (d) and (e) of this section.

(g)

No person other than a licensed veterinarian, or an owner certified competent by a licensed veterinarian, shall crop the ears or dock the tail of any dog.

(1)

A person commits an offense if he crops or cuts off, or causes or procures to be cropped or cut off, the whole or part of the ear, ears or tail of a dog, except as provided in this subsection (g).

(2)

The possession by any person of a dog with an ear cut off or cropped, or tail docked, and with the wound resulting therefrom unhealed, or any such dog being found in the charge or custody of any person, or confined upon the premises owned by or under the control of any person, shall be prima facie evidence of a violation of this section, unless the cropping or docking has been carried out by a licensed veterinarian or an owner trained by a licensed veterinarian.

(h)

It shall be unlawful for any person to leave or deposit any poison or any substance containing poison in any common street, road, alley, lane or thoroughfare of any kind, or in any yard or enclosure other than that person's own yard or enclosure, for the purpose of inflicting injury or killing any animal.

(i)

The humane slaughter of either domestic or wild animals for food purposes is exempt from the provisions of this section, including, but not limited to, all lawful hunting activities.

(j)

Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit, abridge, or in any way hinder the religious freedom of any person or group. Slaughter and the handling or other preparation of livestock for ritual slaughter shall be carried out in a humane method. For the purpose of this section, the term "slaughter" is defined in accordance with F.S. 828.23(3), as may be amended.

(k)

Abandonment prohibited.

(1)

No owner or agent of an animal shall abandon any animal in any public or private place.

(2)

If an animal control officer suspects that an animal has been abandoned, but such animal does not appear to be in immediate distress or danger, the officer may leave notices posted in a conspicuous place informing the owner or agent to contact said officer within 24 hours. Failure to do so will result in the animal being removed by the animal control officer. The animal will become the property of domestic animal services if not redeemed within three days. The officer may issue citations if the owner or agent is subsequently located.

(3)

It shall be unlawful for a person to willfully and knowingly provide false or misleading information to domestic animal services regarding animal ownership, licensing, rabies vaccination, medical treatment and condition and/or other matters pertaining to the enforcement of state law or this chapter.

(l)

Tethering. No person shall under any circumstances tether or otherwise confine any animal in a manner that is injurious to the animal's health, safety and well-being. Proper and humane tethering includes, but is not limited to, the following:

(1)

Collars used to attach an animal should be comfortable and properly fitted as to not choke the animal. The use of choke chains is prohibited.

(2)

The tether shall not extend over an object or edge in such a manner that could result in strangulation of or injury to the animal. The length of the tether must be a minimum of ten feet, or at least three times the length of the animal measured from the animal's nose to the base of its tail, whichever is greater, unless the tether is being used to secure the animal to the bed of an open vehicle or pickup truck. Restraints should allow the animal to move about and lie down comfortably.

(3)

Tethering of an animal is prohibited during natural disasters such as floods, fires, tornados or hurricanes.

(Ord. No. 10-03, § 10, 2-16-2010)