Dog and cat owners have a responsibility to provide their pets with a healthy and safe life, as well as give their neighbors a dog- and cat-free existence. City of Dublin ordinances underline this concept, and when obeyed prevent serious consequences such as:
- Injured, lost or stolen dogs or cats
- Injured, aggravated and/or annoyed citizens and neighbors
- Owner’s liability for damages caused by their animals such as dog/cat bites
Note: An individual providing care/routine feeding/shelter, is the presumptive owner. The “owner,” caretaker, is to keep animals on a leash or under control.
Dog or Cat Bites
- All dog or cat bites must be reported immediately to the Franklin County Health Department. [91.11] and ORC [955.26]
- All dog and cat owners are subject to rabies quarantine procedures in the event of a dog or cat bite.
Be a Good Neighbor:
- Keep your dog or cat quiet. Promote peace in the neighborhood.
- Confine your dog or cat within your premises by keeping your pet under proper control, so as to prevent it from interfering with the passing public or neighbors. [91.07]
- Your dog or cat will be considered running at large if it is not on a leash and under control of a person physically able to control it, except when confined on your premises in accordance with other requirements of the ordinance. [91.01] and supporting regulation ORC [715.23]
- Keep your pet from prohibited areas (unrestrained) such as playgrounds, schools, cemeteries and parks. [91.07]
- Immediately remove your pet’s waste when excreted on property other than your own [96.17]
- Prevent the accumulation of your pet’s waste
- Maintain pet areas in sanitary condition
- Keep dogs and cats immunized against rabies and keep the rabies certificate/tags easily accessible [91.27]
Be a Good Steward:
- Restrained/controlled pets do not cause as much harm and suffering to native wildlife
- Help keep the City of Dublin clean and safe for other people, pets and wildlife
City of Dublin Ordinance Table of Contents, pertinent code and City, County and State codes referenced:
CHAPTER 91: ANIMALS
Section
General Animal Regulations
91.01 Animals or fowl running at large
91.02 Impounding
91.03 Abandoning animals
91.04 Killing or injuring animals
91.05 Poisoning animals
91.06 Cruelty to animals; cruelty to companion animals
91.07 Nuisance conditions prohibited
91.08 Hunting prohibited
91.09 Coloring rabbits or baby poultry
91.10 Dangerous animals prohibited; report of escape
91.11 Animal bites
91.12 Feeding of waterfowl prohibited
91.13 Sexual conduct with an animal
Dogs
91.25 Annual registration of dogs
91.26 Barking or howling dogs
91.27 Rabies immunization
91.28 Definitions; transfer of ownership certificate; form stating dog’s prior behavior
91.29 Confinement of dogs; dangerous; debarked or surgically silenced vicious dogs
91.99 Penalty
Definition:
COMPANION ANIMAL. Means any animal that is kept inside a residential dwelling and any dog or cat regardless of where it is kept, including a pet store as defined in R.C. § 956.01.
91.01 ANIMALS OR FOWL RUNNING AT LARGE.
No person, being the owner or having charge of any animal or fowl, except homing pigeons bearing official bands, shall fail to prevent such animal or fowl from running at large on any property not his own.
91.02 IMPOUNDING.
A police officer or animal warden may impound every animal or dog found in violation of § 01.
91.03 ABANDONING ANIMALS.
No owner or keeper of a dog, cat or other domestic animal shall abandon such animal.
(R.C. § 959.01) (’80 Code, § 505.04(a)) Penalty, see § 91.99
91.07 NUISANCE CONDITIONS PROHIBITED.
No person shall keep or harbor any animal or fowl in the municipality so as to create noxious, or offensive odors or unsanitary conditions which are a menace to the health, comfort or safety of the public.
(’80 Code, § 505.08(a)) Penalty, see § 91.99
91.11 ANIMAL BITES.
Whenever any person is bitten by a dog or other animal, report of such bite shall be made to the Health Commissioner within 24 hours. The dog or other animal inflicting a bite shall immediately be examined by a qualified veterinarian and results of such examination shall be reported to the Health Commissioner within 24 hours. At the direction of the Health Commissioner, the dog or other animal shall either be confined by its owner or harborer to his premises away from the public at large, or be placed under supervision of a veterinarian at the owner’s or harborer’s expense. The isolation or observation period shall not be less than ten days from the date the person was bitten at which time report of the condition of the animal shall be made to the Health Commissioner. No person shall fail to comply with the requirements of this section or with any order of the Health Commissioner made pursuant thereto, nor fail to immediately report to the Health Commissioner any symptom or behavior suggestive of rabies.
(’80 Code, § 505.10(a)) Penalty, see § 91.99
91.27 RABIES IMMUNIZATION.
- No person shall own, keep, harbor or have charge of any dog, cat or ferret over three months of age unless such dog, cat or ferret shall have been immunized against rabies as required by the regulations of the Franklin County Board of Health. Failure to have such dog, cat or ferret immunized for rabies shall subject such dog, cat or ferret to impoundment. Failure to display a current rabies immunization tag on a dog’s collar, harness, leash or similar device and/or to present without delay an immunization certificate for such dog, cat, or ferret upon demand shall be prima-facie evidence of lack of rabies immunization.
- No prosecution for a violation of this section shall take place until at least three days after the owner, keeper, harborer or person having charge of any dog has been notified in writing of the alleged violation and has failed to demonstrate compliance with this section to the satisfaction of the Franklin County Animal Control Board.
(’80 Code, § 505.13; Am. Ord. 102-98, passed 9-21-98) Penalty, see § 91.99
96.17 ANIMAL REGULATIONS (Parks)
(A) Animal control.
(1) No person shall bring into, have or keep in a park any dog, cat or other animal unless such animal is kept in a vehicle, suitably caged, in a designated area; or restrained by a leash, except where a permit has been obtained in advance from the City Manager or designee.
(2) No person being the owner or having charge of any animal on any public or private property other than the property of the owner or person having charge of such animal, shall fail to have in his possession a wood, plastic, or metal device or other container for the purpose of picking up and properly disposing of any fecal matter left by his/her animal. Failure of any such person to have in his possession such suitable device or container is prima-facie evidence of a violation of this section. No person shall fail to remove fecal matter left by his or her animal within a reasonable amount of time by properly placing such refuse into a waste receptacle.
Ohio Revised Code Title VII. Municipal Corporations.
Chapter 715.23 Impounding animals
Except as otherwise provided in section 955.221 of the Revised Code regarding dogs, a municipal corporation may regulate, restrain, or prohibit the running at large, within the municipal corporation, of cattle, horses, swine, sheep, goats, geese, chickens, or other fowl or animals, impound and hold the fowl or animals, and, on notice to the owners, authorize the sale of the fowl or animals for the penalty imposed by any ordinance, and the cost and expenses of the proceedings.
951.11 Strays.
A person finding an animal at large in violation of section 951.02 of the Revised Code, may, and a law enforcement officer of a county, township, city, or village, on view or information, shall, take and confine that animal, promptly giving notice of the taking and confining of the animal to the owner or keeper, if known, and, if not known, by publishing a notice describing the animal once in a newspaper of general circulation in the county, township, city, or village where the animal was found. If the owner or keeper does not appear and claim the animal and pay the compensation prescribed in section 951.13 of the Revised Code for so taking, advertising, and keeping it within ten days from the date of the notice, that person or the county shall have a lien for that compensation, and the animal may be sold at public auction as provided in section 1311.49 of the Revised Code. The residue of the proceeds of sale shall be paid and deposited by the treasurer in the general fund of the county.
951.12 Unavoidable escapes.
If it is proven that an animal running at large in violation of section 951.02 of the Revised Code escaped from its owner or keeper without the owner’s or keeper’s knowledge or fault, the animal shall be returned to its owner or keeper upon payment of the compensation prescribed in section 951.13 of the Revised Code for its taking, advertising, and keeping.
Amended by 129th General AssemblyFile No.26, HB 22, §1, eff. 9/23/2011.
Effective Date: 11.03.1978
