§ 10-5. Dogs and cats at large prohibited.

(a)

The owner or custodian of a dog or cat, which dog or cat is found at large, shall be in violation of this article.

(b)

It is a violation of this section for the owner or custodian of any animal to tie, chain or otherwise tether such animal in such a manner that the animal has access to public property or the property of another, without the consent of the owner of such property.

(c)

The owner or custodian of any female dog or female cat in heat (estrus) which is not kept confined in a secure enclosure, such as a building, veterinary hospital, boarding kennel or closed kennel, in such a manner that such female dog cannot come in contact with a male dog or such female cat cannot come in contact with a male cat, except for intentional breeding purposes, shall be deemed in violation of this article.

(d)

This section shall not apply to police dogs, as defined in F.S. § 843.19, when such dogs are engaged by a law enforcement agency in an official capacity, or to any dog which is or being trained for the sport of hunting, or is actually engaged in hunting, during a legal hunting season within authorized areas and supervised by a competent person, or in working livestock in areas of Manatee County designated as green belt areas.

(Ord. No. 98-312, § B, 8-6-98)