As used in this title, the following terms mean, unless otherwise designated:

    "Abandonment" means to deposit, leave, drop off or otherwise dispose of any live domestic animal on any public or private property.

    "Agent" means person(s) eighteen years or older authorized by an owner to act in the owner's behalf.

    "Animal" means any live nonhuman vertebrate creature, domestic or wild.

    "Animal control center" means the facility operated by the city or its authorized agents for the purpose of impounding or caring for animals held under the authority of this title or state law.

    "Animal shelter" means any facility operated by a humane society or other municipal agency, or its authorized agents, for the purpose of impounding or caring for animals held under their jurisdiction or state law.

    "At large" means any animal that is not under restraint.

    "Auctions" means any place or facility where animals are regularly bought, sold, or traded, except those facilities otherwise defined in this title.

    "Circus" means any commercial variety show featuring animal acts for public entertainment.

    "Confinement" means limited or restricted within the bounds of the real property of the animal's owner or agent.

    "Commercial animal establishment" means any pet shop, auction, riding school, stable, zoological park, circus or performing animal exhibition.

    "Domestic animal" mens any animal that is a member of one of the following species:

    Dog (Canis Familiaris)

    Cat (felis cattus or Felis domesticus)

    Cattle (Bos domesticus or Bos taurus or Bos indicus)

    Horse (Equus coballus)

    Donkey (Equus asinus)

    Pig (Sus scrofa)

    Sheep (Ovis aires)

    Goat (Capra hicus)

    Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus)

    Mouse (Mus musculus)

    Rat (Rattus rattus)

    Guinea pig (Cavis procelius)

    Chinchilla (Chinchilla laniger)

    Hamster (Mesocricestus auratus)

    Gerbil (Gerbillus gerbillus)

    Mink (Mustela vison)

    Ferret (Mustela purtorius furo)

    Chicken

    Turkey

    Goose

    Duck

    Small cage birds

    "Exposed to rabies" means any human or nonhuman warm blooded mammal that has been bitten or in contact with any other animal known or reasonably suspected to have been infected with rabies.

    "Fresh pursuit" means the immediate following of an animal that is found to be at large and not on the owner's property.

    "Harboring" means the actions of any person that permit any animal habitually to remain or lodge or to be fed within his home, store, enclosure, yard or place of business or any premises on which such person resides or controls. An animal shall be presumed harbored if it is fed or sheltered for three consecutive days.

    "Keepers" means veterinarians and operators of kennels, pet shops, boarding kennels, and stables temporarily keeping animals owned by or held for sale to other persons.

    "Kennel" means as defined by the city zoning ordinance.

    "Kennel operator" means a person who owns and/or operates a kennel.

    "Owner" means any person age eighteen years or older owning or harboring one or more animals.

    "Person" means any individual, firm, association, joint stock company, syndicate, partnership or corporation.

    "Pet" means any domestic animal, other than cattle, horse, donkey, pig, sheep, goat, chinchilla or mink, kept for pleasure rather than for utility.

    "Pet shop" means any business enterprise except a kennel, that buys and sells any species of animal.

    "Public nuisance" means any animal or animals that:

    1.    Molest passersby or passing vehicles;

    2.    Attack other animals;

    3.    Damage public or private property;

    4.    Bark, whine or howl in an excessive, untimely or continuous fashion.

    "Research laboratory" means any animal research facility registered with the United States Department of Agriculture under the Federal Laboratory Animal Welfare Act.

    "Restraint" means the securing of an animal by leash or lead or secure enclosure.

    "Riding school or stable" means any place that has available for hire, boarding, and/or riding instruction, any horse, pony, donkey, mule or burrow.

    "Stray" means any animal that is not under restraint and/or upon reasonable inquiry does not appear to have an owner.

    "Veterinarian" means any person licensed to practice veterinary medicine in the state of Indiana.

    "Vicious animal" means any animal that by its behavior constitutes an immediate and serious physical threat to human beings or other animals.

    "Wild animals (Class 1)" means any of the following: fox, raccoon, fish, nonpoisonous snake, nonpoisonous reptile, nonpoisonous amphibian and/or birds not normally kept as cage birds.

    "Wild animals (Class 2)" means any animal or hybrid of any animal that is not a domestic animal or wild animal (Class 1), as defined in this chapter, or any mammal the United States government or the state of Indiana may list or publish as endangered species, or poisonous snake, poisonous reptile or poisonous amphibian. (Ord. 98-34 § 1, 1998; prior code § 4-1)