Regulations

City of Deer Park Code

Code of Ordinances

Concerning Animal Control

Sec. 8.17 Keeping or raising of animals

8.173 Raising of animals for food shall be permitted in the following districts only as provided for below:

8.1731 Raising or keeping of other small domestic animals, including but not limited to chickens, game fowl, and rabbits shall be permitted in any predevelopment or residential district, provided such animals are kept for personal use only, It shall be unlawful for any person to keep, possess or maintain, chickens, game fowl or rabbits or any combination thereof, regardless of gender, on any parcel of land less than one (1) acre in size. Further, no more than ten (10) of chickens, game fowl or rabbits or combination thereof, may be kept per acre of land. All structures or enclosures used for the housing or keeping of chickens, game fowl, or rabbits and all runs and fenced yards devoted exclusively to the use of raising of chickens, game fowl or rabbits shall be of such size that no more than one rabbit or fowl is kept per ten square feet of such pens, houses, runs or yards. All fowl and rabbits shall be kept within such enclosure at all times. It shall further be unlawful for any person to keep, possess or maintain any chickens, game fowl, rabbits or combination thereof, regardless of gender, within on hundred twenty five feet (125’) of any actual residence, building, school or church used for human habitation including that of the owner or keeper of such animal.

8.1732 There shall be no sale on the premises of such animals or any animal products for food or other purposes

Sec. 14-3 Keeping of animals

It shall be unlawful for any person to keep any livestock, barnyard or domestic animal, wild animal or reptile within the city unless such animal is penned.
Any person keeping or maintaining any such animal shall be required to make provision for the periodic sanitary disposal of manure and other excretion resulting from such keeping and to maintain a container equipped with a top for the sanitary accumulation of such material between such disposal times.
All enclosures or buildings in which any livestock is kept or permitted to remain within the city shall be kept in a reasonably clean and sanitary condition and shall be disinfected and deodorized at least one time per week.

Sec. 14-5 Keeping noisy animal or bird

It shall be unlawful for any person within the city to keep any animal or bird which shall make excessive or unusual noise, reasonably calculated to disturb the comfort or repose of persons of ordinary temper, sensibility or disposition.

Sec. 14-6 Keeping of fowl

Number allowed. It shall be unlawful for any person to keep, possess or maintain any barnyard fowl, including chicken, goose, turkey, duck or any combination thereof, regardless of gender, on any parcel of land less than one (1) acre in size. Further, no more than ten (10) of such fowl may be kept per acre of land. All structures or enclosures used for the housing or keeping of fowl and all runs and fenced yards devoted exclusively to the use of raising of fowl shall be of such size that no more than one fowl is kept per ten square feet of such pens, houses, runs or yards. All fowl shall be kept within such enclosure at all times. It shall further be unlawful for any person to keep, possess or maintain any chickens, goose, turkey, duck or combination thereof, regardless of gender, within on hundred twenty five feet (125’) of any actual residence, building, school or church used for human habitation including that of the owner or keeper of such animal.
Sanitation. All enclosures and buildings in which any fowl is kept or permitted to remain within the city shall be kept in reasonably clean and sanitary conditions and shall be disinfected and deodorized at least one time per week.

Sec. 14-8 Duties of owners and persons in control and protection of animals

It shall be unlawful for any owner or person to:

Fail to prevent any animal from running at large within the corporate limits of the city.
Perform, do or carry out any inhumane treatment against any animal.
Keep, possess, own, control, maintain, use or otherwise exercise dominion over any animals which by reason of noise, odor or sanitary conditions become offensive to a reasonable and prudent person of ordinary tastes and sensibilities, or which constitute or become a health hazard.
Keep or harbor any dangerous or vicious animals within the corporate limits of the city.
Keep, maintain, own or operate a dog kennel or cat kennel in any residential district within the corporate limits of the city.

Vicious or Dangerous Animals

Sec. 14-161 Notice

Any person who has knowledge that a dog or cat is of vicious or dangerous propensity may, upon application to the clerk of the municipal court, cause written notice to be given by the clerk to the owner of such animal, such notice to be mailed to the owner, registered or certified mail, return receipt requested. A copy of such letter with the receipt showing delivery shall be prima facie evidence that the owner of such dog or cat has notice of its vicious or dangerous propensity.

Sec. 14-162 Duties of owner

It shall be the duty of every citizen of the city who is the owner of a dog or cat of vicious or dangerous propensity and who has knowledge of such vicious or dangerous propensity to keep such dog or cat muzzled or under confinement or restraint within a fence, house or other structure, or upon a leash or chain strong enough to restrain such animal and prevent such animal from running loose.

Sec. 14-163 Destruction of removal of dog or cat

If, after notice to the owner that a dog or cat has a vicious or dangerous propensity, such dog or cat shall, while unmuzzled or while not under confinement within a fence, house or other structure, or while not restrained by a leash or chain, attack or cause injury to any person, any police officer or animal control officer may pick up and impound such dog or cat, and if the injured party shall make affidavit of such injury and a physician shall certify that the dog or cat broke the skin and was caused by a dog or cat, the judge of the municipal court may, in his discretion upon the trial of any charges growing out of such incident, authorize the destruction of such dog or cat, or its removal from the city within 24 hours as a part of the penalty.

Sec. 14-164 Right of entry for animal control officer

An animal control officer has the right to enter private property to seize any animal for which they reasonably believe to be dangerous.