§ 6-32. Definitions.

When used in this chapter the following words and terms, unless the context indicates a different meaning, shall be interpreted as follows:

Animal control authority or authority means the animal control department of the City of Saginaw.

Animal control officer means any employee or agent of the City of Saginaw assigned to the animal control authority or whose responsibilities include animal control.

Dangerous animal means an animal, other than a dog, that:

(1)

Makes an unprovoked attack on a person or another animal that causes bodily injury and occurs in a place other than an enclosure in which the animal was being kept and that was reasonably certain to prevent the animal from leaving the enclosure on its own; or

(b)

Commits unprovoked acts in a place other than an enclosure in which the animal was being kept and that was reasonably certain to prevent the animal from leaving the enclosure on its own and those acts cause a person to reasonably believe that the animal will attack and cause bodily injury to a person or to another animal.

Dangerous dog means a dog that:

(1)

Makes an unprovoked attack on a person or another animal that causes bodily injury and occurs in a place other than an enclosure in which the dog was being kept and that was reasonably certain to prevent the dog from leaving the enclosure on its own; or

(2)

Commits unprovoked acts in a place other than an enclosure in which the dog was being kept and that was reasonably certain to prevent the dog from leaving the enclosure on its own and those acts cause a person to reasonably believe that the dog will attack and cause bodily injury to a person or to another animal.

Dangerous incident means an incident in which a dog or another animal:

(1)

Makes an unprovoked attack on a person or another animal that causes bodily injury and occurs in a place other than an enclosure in which the dog or animal was being kept and that was reasonably certain to prevent the dog or animal from leaving the enclosure on its own; or

(2)

Commits unprovoked acts in a place other than an enclosure in which the dog or animal was being kept and that was reasonably certain to prevent the dog or animal from leaving the enclosure on its own and those acts cause a person to reasonably believe that the dog or animal will attack and cause bodily injury to a person or to another animal.

Estray means a domestic animal that has strayed and has no obvious owner.

Harboring means the act of keeping and caring for an animal or of providing a premise to which the animal returns for food, shelter, or care for a period of three days.

Livestock means animals raised for food or other products, or kept for use, especially farm animals such as meat and dairy cattle, pigs, and poultry.

Owner means any person who owns, harbors or who has care, custody, or control of an animal.

Quarantine by owner means (at the animal control officer's discretion) the animal must be inside an enclosed structure, i.e., house or garage and must remain there for ten days, or if maintained outside, the animal must be behind a fence from which it cannot escape and on a chain from which it cannot break loose or inside a covered pen or kennel from which it cannot escape. The animal control officer will approve the enclosure. The animal must be kept away from other animals and people except those in the immediate household. The animal may not be removed from the corporate city limits of Saginaw while under quarantine.

Rabies vaccination means the vaccination of a dog, cat or other domestic animal with an anti-rabies vaccine approved by the state department of health and administered by a veterinarian licensed by the state.

Residential domesticated animal means all species of animals commonly and universally accustomed to living near people in a residential area not including wild animals, dangerous wild animals, or dangerous wild animals as defined herein, prior ordinance of the city, or state or federal law as amended.

Running at large means:

(1)

Off premises:

a.

Any dog which is not restrained by means of a leash or chain of sufficient strength and length to control the actions of such animal while off premises.

b.

Any cat which is causing a nuisance.

c.

Any dog confined within a city owned dog park is not considered running at large.

(2)

On premises:

a.

Any dog not confined to the premises of the owner by a substantial fence of sufficient strength and height to prevent the animal from escaping therefrom, or secured on the premises by a metal chain or leash sufficient in strength to prevent the animal from escaping from the premises and so arranged that the animal will remain upon the premises when the leash is stretched to full length. A dog intruding upon the property of another person other than the owner shall be termed "at large". Any animal within an automobile or other vehicle of its owner of owner's agent shall not be deemed "at large".

Secure enclosure means a fence or structure, being securely enclosed and locked, having four sides, a top, and a bottom, and having signs posted on all sides warning of the presence of a dangerous dog or dangerous animal with nine-inch letters, that is suitable to confine and prevent the escape of a dangerous dog or dangerous animal and to prevent any unauthorized entry.

Serious bodily injury means an injury characterized by severe bite wounds or severe ripping and tearing of muscle that would cause a reasonably prudent person to seek treatment from a medical professional and would require hospitalization without regard to whether the person actually sought medical treatment.

Stray animal means any animal, for which there is or is not an identifiable owner or harborer, which is found to be at large within the corporate limits of the City of Saginaw.

Wild animals means any animal or reptile that commonly exists in a natural unconfined state and is usually not a residential domesticated animal, regardless of the circumstances or duration of captivity. Examples of wild animals include, but are not limited to the following: lions, tigers, ocelots, bobcats, cougars, panthers, pumas, leopards, cheetahs, jaguars, lynx, servals, caracals, hyenas, bears, koala bears, wallabies, bandicoots, wombats, bats, kangaroos, opossums, javelinas, wolves, coyotes, dingoes, foxes, jackals, weasels, skunks, martins, minks, badgers, sloths, anteaters, armadillos, elephants, monkeys, baboons, chimpanzees, orangutans, gorillas, beavers, porcupines, antelope, deer, moose, elk, javelina, bison, camels, hawks, eagles, falcons, vultures, Gila monsters, water moccasins, coral snakes, rattlesnakes, copperheads, king cobras, any poisonous snake or reptile, pythons, anacondas, marine snakes, pit vipers, true vipers, crocodiles, alligators, or any hybrid of any of the above animals, or any animal or any hybrid of any animal defined as a wild animal, exotic animal, or dangerous animal by the City of nance, prior ordinances of the city, or by state or federal law as a dangerous, wild, or exotic animal.

(Ord. No. 2004-02, § 2, 4-6-04; Ord. No. 2005-09, §§ 1, 2, 5-17-05; Ord. No. 2015-02, § 2, 2-3-15; Ord. No. 2017-04, § 2, 4-4-17)