§ 4-14. Mistreatment of animals, reptiles, or fowl.

(a)

It shall be unlawful for any person to mistreat any animal, reptile, or fowl by causing deliberate physical injury, unnecessary pain and/or suffering.

(b)

It shall be unlawful for any person to mischievously or carelessly provoke, tease, or aggravate any animal or fowl.

(c)

It shall be unlawful for any person to maliciously, recklessly, or willfully frighten any horse, pony, or other equine animal, or cause or attempt to cause the same to panic, bolt, or run out of control of its owner or rider.

(d)

It shall be unlawful for any person who owns or otherwise has possession, charge, custody, dominion, or control of an animal and places or confines such animal or allows it to be placed or confined or to remain in an unattended motor vehicle without sufficient ventilation or under other conditions or for such a period of time as may endanger the health or well-being of such animal due to heat, lack of water, or such other circumstances as may reasonably be expected to cause suffering, disability, or death.

Exceptions: Nothing in this section shall be deemed to prohibit the transportation of horses, cattle, sheep, poultry, or other agricultural livestock in trailers or other vehicles designed and constructed for such purposes.

(e)

Authority of officers. Any officer of the City of Coral Springs, Florida, who finds an animal in a motor vehicle in violation of this section may break and enter the motor vehicle, if necessary, without civil or criminal liability, to remove the animal. The officer removing the animal shall take said animal, or cause said animal to be delivered, to the Coral Springs animal retention facility. The officer shall, in the event the owner or custodian of said animal cannot be otherwise contacted, leave in a prominent place in the motor vehicle a written notice bearing his name and department with the address, so that the animal may be claimed by the owner thereof. The humane officer having custody of the animal shall make reasonable efforts to contact the owner and give notice that the animal is in custody and may be reclaimed. For three (3) calendar days after the animal's removal from the motor vehicle, the animal will remain at the city's animal retention facility. The owner may reclaim the animal upon payment of the then prevailing boarding fee of the animal retention facility. After three (3) calendar days, the animal shall be transported to the county designated animal shelter.

(f)

No person shall leave or deposit any poison or any substance containing poison or harmful substance on any public or private property not limited to any common street, alley, lane, or thoroughfare of any kind, or in any yard or enclosure, except as set forth below:

(1)

Product, substances, or poisons are completely enclosed in a tamper-proof bait station accessible only to the targeted animal (rats or mice).

(2)

Product, substances, or poisons must be placed and secured in such a manner whereby no person other than the contracted professional has access whereby eliminating the possibility [of] injury or accidental poisoning to any person or non-targeted animal.

(Ord. No. 98-130, § 2, 11-17-98)