Section 103-393; Ord. 17382; Amending Chapter 5 RE: Animals on Recently Annexed Property

amending Chapter 5 of the City Code as it relates to animals on recently annexed property; and fixing the time when this ordinance shall become effective.

SECTION 1. Chapter 5 of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Columbia, Missouri, is hereby amended as follows:

The following words and terms, as used in this chapter, shall be deemed to have the following meanings:

Rabies Compendium shall mean the most current edition of a document by that name published by the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians, which serves as the standard for rabies vaccine, treatment and policy.

Recently annexed property. Property shall be considered “recently annexed property” only for the first three years following its annexation into the city and only if it was annexed after September 30, 2003 and only if annexation of the property was approved by the voters under Section 71.015 RSMo.

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person keeping, harboring, owning or responsible for a dog to permit the dog to be off of the premises of the person keeping, harboring, owning or responsible for the dog unless the dog is held on a leash by a competent person. The provisions of this section shall not apply to a dog in a vehicle being driven or parked upon a street if the dog is secured in a manner that prevents escape.

(b) It is a defense to a charge of violating this section that the dog involved is a working dog trained to assist disabled individuals and that the dog is under the control of a competent person and obedient to the command of such person.

(c) It is a defense to a charge of violating this section that the dog involved was participating in an organized competition or that the dog involved was engaged in an organized training exercise under the supervision of a person competent to provide such training.

(d) It is a defense to a charge of violating this section that the dog involved is a trained police dog and that the dog is under the control of a competent person and obedient to the command of such person.

(e) The provisions of this section shall not apply to any dog in a dog running area established by this section; provided, that the dog is under the control of a competent person and obedient to the command of such person. The following areas are designated as dog running areas, except that the parks department may designate leash areas within the areas:

(f) The provisions of this section shall not apply to any dog that is lawfully being used for hunting on recently annexed property.

No person shall, at any time, keep, harbor or own, at one location within the city, more than a total of four (4) dogs or cats over the age of six (6) months. This provision shall not apply to a lawfully operated commercial kennel, a kennel maintained in connection with a small animal hospital, or the city pound. This provision shall not apply to animals kept on recently annexed property.

The licensing provisions of this article shall not apply to animals kept on recently annexed property.

SECTION 2. This ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after the earliest date on which one of the annexations submitted to the voters on August 6, 2002 takes effect.