§ 14-7. Protection of animals

(a) Chickens or ducklings younger than eight weeks of age may not be sold in quantities of less than ten to a single purchaser except if the animals are sold as part of a sanctioned FFA or 4H project.

(b) No person shall knowingly expose any known poisonous substance, whether mixed with food or not, so that the same may be eaten by any pet or domestic animal, provided however, that the application of pesticides which are commercially available and which are properly applied to control pests shall not constitute a violation of this section.

(c) No owner or person shall:

(1) Deprive an animal of sufficient good and wholesome food or water, adequate shelter and protection from weather, veterinary care (when needed to prevent suffering), and humane care and treatment;

(2) Beat, cruelly ill-treat, torment, mentally abuse, overload, overwork or otherwise abuse an animal, or cause, instigate or permit any dog fight, cock fight, bullfight, or other combat between animals or between animals and humans; or

(3) Abandon any animal in their custody.

(d) No person shall transport or carry on any public roadway any animal in a motor vehicle unless the animal is safely enclosed within the vehicle, and if traveling in an unenclosed vehicle, the animal shall not be allowed to ride in a manner that is dangerous to the animal or other motorist, i.e., having part of the animal's body outside the vehicle, and/or riding on top of the cab or other parts of the vehicle, and/or tool boxes or other property in the unenclosed area of the vehicle.

(e) No owner or person shall leave any animal in any standing or parked vehicle in such a way as to endanger the animal's health, safety or welfare. Any animal control officer or police officer is authorized to use reasonable force, including the breaking of a side window, to remove an animal from a vehicle whenever it appears the animal's health, safety or welfare is or soon will be endangered. If the life of the animal is in immediate danger, said animal may be impounded in the discretion of the animal control officer.

(f) The animal control authority may liberally utilize the authority granted by V.T.C.A., Health and Safety Code § 821.022 to seize any animal, if the animal control authority has reason to believe that an animal has been or is being cruelly treated. Seizure of the subject animal prior to receiving a warrant is hereby authorized if such a delay endangers the life or if it would unreasonably prolong the suffering of the subject animal requiring veterinary care.

(g) No owner or person shall sell, trade, barter, lease, rent, give away, or display for a commercial purpose, any live animal, on any roadside, public right-of-way, commercial parking lot, or any flea market.

(Ord. No. 1058, § 16, 11-20-2006; Ord. No. 1065, § 16, 3-5-2007)