§ 4-13. Humane treatment for animals.

(a)

An owner or responsible person shall provide humane care and treatment to an animal. Humane care includes, but is not limited to providing adequate food, adequate water, adequate shelter, adequate space, and veterinary care to maintain health and to prevent or cure diseases.

(1)

Adequate food means food which is of sufficient quantity and nutritive value to maintain each animal in good health. The owner shall ensure that adequate food is accessible to each animal, is prepared so as to permit ease of consumption for the age, species, condition, size, and type of each animal, is provided in a clean and sanitary manner, is placed so as to minimize contamination by excrement and pests, and is provided at suitable intervals for the species, age, and condition of the animal, which is at least once daily except as prescribed by a veterinarian.

(2)

Adequate water means clean, fresh, potable water. The owner shall ensure that adequate water is provided in a suitable manner, in sufficient volume, and at suitable intervals, at all times to maintain normal hydration for the age, species, condition, size, and type of each animal, except as prescribed by a veterinarian, and that the water is provided in a clean, durable receptacle, which is accessible to each animal and is placed so as to prevent contamination of the water by excrement and pests.

(3)

Dogs regularly kept outdoors must be provided with adequate shelter. Adequate shelter means a shelter that is suitable for the species, age, condition, size, and type of each animal, and provides adequate space for each animal, is safe and protects each animal from injury, direct sunlight, other weather elements, adverse effects of heat or cold, physical suffering, and impairment of health.

(4)

Adequate space means space that allows an animal to easily sit, stand, lie down, turnabout, and make other normal body movements in a comfortable, normal position for the animal. The owner or responsible person shall ensure adequate space exists so an animal can interact safely with other animals in the enclosure, unless specified by a veterinarian. Nothing precludes veterinary care that temporarily restricts movement if it would endanger an animal.

(b)

It shall be unlawful for a person to abandon any animal, dispose of any animal on the property of another or on public property, or to leave behind any animal when relocating to a new residence. The return of a community cat to the location at which it was found, or another designated place, subsequent to sterilization and vaccination shall not be considered to be abandonment.

(c)

It shall be unlawful for any person to entice or lure an animal out of an enclosure, or off the property of its owner, harborer or keeper.

(d)

It shall be unlawful for any person to molest, torment, torture, abuse, assault, or tease an animal.

(e)

No person other than a licensed veterinarian shall crop the ears or dock the tail of any dog. If a person possesses a dog with an ear or ears cut off or cropped, or tail docked, and with the unhealed wound, then that possession is prima facie evidence of a violation of this section, unless the cropping or docking was performed by a veterinarian.

(f)

No person other than a licensed veterinarian shall castrate a domestic cat or dog.

(g)

The unsupervised, unattended outdoor tethering of a dog is prohibited except as provided herein:

(1)

The dog must be in visible range of the owner or responsible party, which person must also be outside with the dog at all times. There is authorized the following narrow exception to this condition: The dog owner or responsible person may leave a dog tethered outdoors on the property for a reasonable period while such owner or responsible person performs a temporary task indoors. In no event may the owner or responsible person leave the premises while a dog is left tethered, unattended, outdoors. A dog may never be left tethered and unattended on vacant or abandoned property.

(2)

Any tether must be of sufficient strength to prevent escape.

(3)

The tether must be attached to the animal by a properly applied, buckle-type nylon or leather collar, or halter or harness, with a swivel hook, and configured so as to protect the animal from injury and prevent entanglement with other objects and/or animals.

(4)

The tether shall not be attached to a stationary object or trolley at a point or location that would allow the animal to extend the tether over a fence or other object or edge in such manner that could result in the strangulation of or injury to the animal.

(5)

The foregoing provisions regarding tethering do not apply to a lawful animal event, veterinarian treatment, grooming, training, or law enforcement.

(6)

The provisions of subsection (1) above, do not apply to dogs that are kept or used on lands being used for a bona fide farm operation on lands classified as agricultural pursuant to F.S. § 193.461 [cf. sections 163.3162(3)(a), and F.S. § 823.14(6); see, definitions of "farm," "farm operation," and "farm product" at F.S. § 823.14(3)(a), (b), and (c)].

(Ord. No. 11-55, § 1, 10-18-11; Ord. No. 14-06, § 1, 4-1-14; Ord. No. 16-34, § 1, 10-4-2016; Ord. No. 18-21, § 1, 8-7-2018)

Editor's note

See editor's note for § 4-11.