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1. When did the Animal Ordinance become effective?
This Ordinance originally became effective January 1, 2001. Amendments to the ordinance
were made to Sections 2, 9, and 26 that became effective on January 1, 2004.
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2. Which pets will be required to have rabies vaccinations?
All dogs, cats, and ferrets four months of age or older must be vaccinated against
rabies by a veterinarian and be registered with the department. This provision provides for local
enforcement of state law which now requires ferrets to be vaccinated against rabies.
VIOLATIONS:
Failure to vaccinate animal against rabies as required by Section
3 .
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3 . Will my pets be required to wear a rabies tag?
4. Will my cat be required to wear a rabies tag?
All dogs are required to wear the rabies registration tag when outside. Cats, when outside, are required to wear the registration tag or to be micro chipped, tattooed, or have an ear tag that can be used to identify the cat so the owner can be traced. Dogs and cats, while participating in a sanctioned event, are not required to wear their registration tag. This provision better enables public health authorities and the person bitten by a dog or cat to know if the animal has a current rabies vaccination. This also aids in getting lost pets and their owners reunited.
VIOLATIONS:
Failure to display tags or provide permanent identification as required by Section
6 .
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5 . How can I get rabies tags for my pets?
Veterinarians will have county rabies registration tags available for their clients and display educational information concerning pet ownership in their clinics. This provision is for the convenience of citizens purchasing tags and should increase compliance throughout the county concerning the requirement for pet owners to register their dogs, cats, and ferrets. Making the tags more convenient to get will aid in getting more lost animals reunited with their owners.
TAG FEES: Unsterilized $40, Sterile $20, Senior Citizen Discount*** Tag
fee: Unsterilized $25, Sterile $5
VIOLATIONS:
Failure of veterinarian to provide information or to offer sale of tags as required by Section
23 .
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6. How long will the rabies vaccination be recognized
by Animal Services?
The ordinance allows the department to recognize a vaccination to be valid for the amount of
time specified by the veterinarian for dogs, cats, and ferrets. This time period can vary depending
upon your pet's species and the type of vaccine being used by the veterinarian. For Ordinance
information, refer to Section #3 .
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7 . Will I be required to obtain a permit?
8. Why are permits being required?
People operating as a pet dealer (sells more than 20 dogs or cats a year) or who operate a kennel
or cattery (shall mean any premises wherein 6 or more dogs or cats are kept for the purpose(s)
of boarding, training, or any other similar business purposes) are required to obtain a $25 permit
from Animal Services. The permit provides the public with knowledge that permitted enterprise
meets or exceeds minimal standards in regard to the health and well being of the animals being
sold or in their care.
VIOLATIONS:
Violating permit conditions as prohibited by Section
17 .
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VIOLATIONS:
Failure to obtain a permit as required by Section
18 .
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VIOLATIONS:
Failure to maintain minimum permit standards as required by Section
19 .
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9 . Does the ordinance provide protection for consumers who purchase
sick or defective pets?
Consumer rights and remedies for dogs or cats unfit for purchase are protected in the
Ordinance. This provision will permit local enforcement of consumer rights when purchasing a dog
or cat.
VIOLATIONS:
Failure to provide notice of consumer guarantee as required by Section
25 .
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10 . My neighbor's pets are always on
my property. I don't own any animals, and don't want my neighbor's pets on my property. Will this
ordinance protect me and my property?
Excluding public right-of-way on an owner's private property, no dog or cat shall be allowed to
stray, run or go, at large upon any public property or street, sidewalk, park, or on the private
property of another without the consent of the property owner. Any cat routinely outdoors while
not under direct control must be sterilized. This will better protect the private property rights
of our citizens who do not want dogs or cats on their property. It will help reduce problems that
can result from outdoor pet cats indiscriminately breeding. It will also likely result, over time,
in a higher percentage of pet cats being kept indoors; thereby reducing the health and safety risks
to which outdoor cats are exposed.
VIOLATIONS:
Dogs and cats at large as prohibited by Section
10 .
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11. How am I supposed to keep a formerly outdoor cat indoors?
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12. Are all cats required to be sterilized?
Any cat routinely outdoors while not under direct control must be sterilized. This will better
protect the private property rights of our citizens who do not want cats on their property,
as sterilized cats tend not to wander. It will help reduce problems that can result from outdoor
pet cats indiscriminately breeding. It will also likely result , over time, in a higher percentage
of pet cats being kept indoors; thereby reducing the health and safety risks to which outdoor
cats are exposed.
VIOLATIONS:
Dogs and cats at large as prohibited by Section
10 .
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13. What does direct control mean?
Direct control is the immediate, continuous physical control of an animal such as a fence, leash,
cord or chain of such strength to restrain the animal at all times. For Ordinance information refer
to Section #2 (Definition #21) ,
and Section #10 .
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14. What is the "Pooper Scooper Provision" I've
heard about?
Any feces deposited by a dog, cat, or pet pig on public property, public walks, recreation
areas or the private property of others must be immediately removed by the person who has custody
or control of the animal. This provision will help reduce the health and nuisance problems created
by dogs and cats that have been permitted to defecate on the property of others.
VIOLATIONS:
Failure to remove animal waste as required by Section
14 .
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15. Will this ordinance protect animals that
are transported in the back of pick-up trucks?
No person will transport on any public highway, roadway or thoroughfare any animal in a vehicle
unless the animal is safely confined or tethered to prevent the animal from falling or jumping
from the vehicle. This provision will reduce the potential danger to people and animals that could
be caused if an animal were to fall onto a busy public road in our county.
VIOLATIONS:
Improperly transporting animals in vehicle as prohibited by Section
31 .
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16. How does this ordinance protect animals
left inside vehicles?
An animal may not be placed or confined, or allowed to be placed or confined or allowed to remain
in an unattended vehicle without sufficient ventilation or under conditions or for such a period
of time as may be expected to endanger the health or well-being of such animal due to heat, lack
of water or such other circumstances as may be expected to cause suffering, debility or death.
Any law enforcement officer or Animal Control Officer who finds an animal in a vehicle in violation
of this section may enter the vehicle by using the amount of force reasonably necessary to remove
the animal.
VIOLATIONS:
Improperly confinement of animals in vehicles as prohibited by Section
31 .
OR
VIOLATIONS:
Cruelty to animals as prohibited by Section
8 .
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17. Does the ordinance protect the disabled who depend upon service animals?
It is unlawful to strike or interfere with a service animal while performing its duties. This
will help prevent someone from interfering with a service animal that is assisting, for example,
a deaf or visually impaired person.
VIOLATIONS:
Striking or interfering with a service animal as prohibited by Section
11 .
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18. Why are the fines for some violations
of the ordinance so low?
Several violations do carry low fines for the first offense. The ordinance seeks to educate violators
rather than punish through monetary fines. Depending upon the severity of the violation, a civil
citation could be issued using one or more different sections, or if warranted, allows the department
to request criminal prosecution through the States Attorney's Office. For Ordinance information,
refer to Sections #34 , and 42
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19. Why are Animal Rescue Adoption Organizations
being permitted?
Not all animal rescue adoption organizations need to be permitted. Animal rescue adoption organizations
provide a public and humane service by providing temporary shelter and in placing dogs and cats
into permanent homes. A rescue group or organization needs to be permitted if it wants to obtain
animals from the county's animal shelter. A permitted animal rescue adoption organization provides
the public with knowledge that it meets or exceeds minimal standards in regard to the health
and well being of the animals in their care.
Animal Rescue Adoption Organization Permit Fee: $0.00
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20. Was the nuisance animal section of the ordinance
improved over the old one?
No companion animal shall be allowed to unreasonably annoy humans, to endanger the life or health
of other animals or persons acting lawfully, or to substantially interfere with the rights of
others by interfering with the reasonable use and enjoyment of property. One problem noted in
the old ordinance was that it required two unrelated citizens to sign a notarized "Nuisance
Affidavit". The proposed ordinance allows, at the discretion of the department, other reliable
evidence to replace one of the required affidavits.
VIOLATIONS:
Animals creating nuisance as prohibited by Section
15 .
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21. What is the County doing to promote sterilization
of pets?
To encourage sterilization, Hillsborough County's Board of County Commissioners, has initiated a Spay and Neuter Voucher Program to assist low income and indigent residents have their pet dogs and cats sterilized. The voucher program is funded by a portion of the registration tag fees charged owners of unsterilized animals.
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22. How old must I be to receive the Senior Citizens discount on registration tags
and adoptions from the County?
Any person over the age of 62 years is entitled to reduced registration tag fees (unsterilized animals $25, sterile animals $5), and adoption fees (dogs $25, cats $20).
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23. Why are adoption fees increasing so much under
the proposed ordinance?
The ordinance's adoption fees matches the fees of other local shelters. The old ordinance's adoption
fees (adult dogs $10, puppies, cats, and kittens $4) promoted the "throw away society" concept
because the fees were so low. Under Animal Ordinance 00-26, all adoption animals will be sterilized,
given the vaccinations appropriate to its age and health status, and micro-chipped.
Adoption Fees: Dogs $65, Cats $50
Senior Citizen Discount***
Adoption Fees Dogs $25, Cats $20
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* First offense civil citations for certain violations, shall be dismissed upon satisfactory proof of compliance being presented to the Department of Animal Services within the allotted amount of time commencing on the date of issuance of the citation.
** Uncontested civil citations paid prior to the scheduled hearing date shall be discounted by the percentage shown.
*** Senior
Citizen discount available if over 62 years old. |
