CANOSIA TOWNSHIP 

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PET: Any animal kept for pleasure rather than business, or rather than for providing physical assistance for a physically handicapped person., or any animal of a species that has been bred and raised to live in or about the habitation of humans and is dependent on people for food and shelter.

PUBLIC NUISANCE: An animal which does any of the following is a public nuisance:

1.  Habitually worries, chases or molests other animals or persons traveling peaceably in any public place.
2.  Unreasonably annoys, injures or endangers the safety, health, comfort or repose of any person.
3.  Interferes with, obstructs or renders dangerous for passage any public highway or right-of-way or waters used by the public.
4.  Chases vehicles, excessively makes disturbing noises including, but not limited to, continued and/or repeated howling, barking or other sounds causing unreasonable annoyance or discomfort to neighbors or others in close proximity to the premises where the animal is kept or is found.

VICIOUS DOG: Any dog that attacks, bites, or injures human beings or domesticated animals without adequate provocation, or which, because of temperament, conditioning, breeding, species, or training, has a known propensity to attack, bite, or injure human beings or domesticated animals.

DANGEROUS DOG: Any dog that has: (1) inflicted severe injury on a human being without provocation on public or private property, (2) killed a domestic animal without provocation while off the owner’s property, or (3) been previously found to be potentially dangerous, the owner having received notice of such and the dog again aggressively bites, attacks, or endangers the safety of humans or domestic animals.

PROPER ENCLOSURES OF A DANGEROUS DOG:  While on the owner’s property, a dangerous dog shall be securely confined indoors, or in a securely enclosed and locked pen or structure, suitable to prevent the entry of young children and designed  to prevent the dog from escaping. Such pen or structure shall have secure sides and a secure top, and shall also provide protection from the elements.

Impoundment and Violation Notice: Any dog or other animal which is a public nuisance shall be impounded in an animal shelter and confined in a humane manner .

Registration: Any person owning, keeping, harboring, or having custody of any dog over four months of age within the municipality must obtain a registration as herein provided.

Written application for registration shall be made to the  Town Clerk.

Restraint: Every owner shall exercise proper care and control of that owner’s dogs to prevent them from becoming a public nuisance.

Keeping of Dangerous Dogs: It is unlawful for an owner to have a dangerous dog in the Township without a certificate of registration.

Confinement of Dangerous Dogs:

A. It is unlawful for an owner of a dangerous dog to permit the dog to be outside the proper enclosures unless the dog is muzzled and restrained by a substantial chain or leash and under control of the owner or owners agent. The muzzle shall be an approved muzzle that will not cause injury to the dog or interfere with its vision or respiration but shall prevent it from biting any person or animal.

B. Dogs shall not be declared dangerous if the threat, injury or damage was sustained by a person who, at the time, was committing a trespass upon the premises occupied by the owner of the dog, or was tormenting, abusing, or beating the dog or was committing or attempting to commit a crime.

Enforcement: The civil and criminal provisions of this Ordinance shall be enforced by those persons or agencies designated by municipal authority.

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