OR 2003-1040 Changing the title to animal servicesAN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF COPPELL, TEXAS
ORDINANCE NO. 2003-1040
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF COPPELL, TEXAS,
AMENDING THE COPPELL CODE OF ORDINANCES BY AMENDING
CHAPTER 9, ARTICLE 9-1, BY CHANGING THE TITLE TO ANIMAL
SERVICES; BY AMENDING SECTION 9-1-1, "DEFINITIONS", BY
AMENDING THE DEFINITIONS, IN PART, FOR DANGEROUS DOGS
AND RELEASING AGENCY; BY AMENDING 9-1-2(A) TO PROVIDE
FOR THE DESIGNATION OF MULTIPLE EMPLOYEES TO SERVE AS
ANIMAL SERVICES OFFICERS; BY AMENDING SECTION 9-1-4 BY
DELETING SUBSECTION A, 1 THROUGH 4, AND REPLACING THE
SAME WITH SIMILAR PROVISIONS; BY AMENDING SECTION 9-1-5
TO INCREASE THE REQUIREMENT FOR REGISTRATION FROM
THREE (3) MONTHS TO FOUR (4) MONTHS; BY AMENDING
SECTION 9-1-13, ADOPTION OF DOGS AND CATS, BY PROVIDING
UPDATED PROVISIONS FOR THE ADOPTION OF ANIMALS OVER
SIX (6) MONTHS IN AGE WHICH HAVE NOT BEEN SPAYED OR
NEUTERED; BY AMENDING SECTION 9-1-14, SUBSECTION B.3.(¢) TO
PROVIDE FOR THE ANIMAL SERVICES OFFICER; AND BY
AMENDING SECTION 9-1-18(D)(1) TO DELETE THE PROVISION FOR
ATTACK OF ANOTHER ANIMAL; PROVIDING FOR A PENALTY NOT
TO EXCEED TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS ($2,000.00) FOR EACH
OFFENSE; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, Article 9-1 of the Coppell Code of Ordinances provides for Animal Services
within the City; and
WHEREAS, upon review of Article 9-1, staff has made recommendation that certain areas
of said Article be amended to update and provide more specific guidelines for the adoption of
animals and the sterilization of the same; and
WHEREAS, the City Council believes that the recommendations made by the City staff are
in the best interest of the City and its citizens;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF COPPELL, TEXAS:
SECTION 1. That Chapter 9 of the City of Coppell Code of Ordinances be, and the same
is, hereby amended by amending Article 9-1 by changing the title to "Animal Services", by
amending Section 9-1-1, by amending the definitions, in part, for dangerous dogs and releasing
agency and by amending Section 9-1-2(A) to provide for the designation of multiple employees
to serve as animal services officers to provide additional definitions, which shall read as follows:
"ARTICLE 9-1. ANIMAL SERVICES.
Sec. 9-1-1. Definitions.
In this article the following words and terms shall have the following
meanings ascribed to them unless the context indicates otherwise:
Dangerous dog shall mean a dog that:
Makes an unprovoked attach on a person that causes bodily injury
and occurs in a place other than an enclosure in which the dog was
being kept and that was reasonably certain to prevent the dog from
leaving the enclosure on its own; or
Releasing agency shall mean a public or private animal shelter, or humane
organization. The term does not include an individual who occasionally renders
humane assistance in the individual' s home for a dog or cat.
Sec. 9-1-2. Enforcement.
A. City manager shall designate employees as animal services officers
who shall be assigned to the environmental health department.
SECTION 2. That Chapter 9 of the City of Coppell Code of Ordinances be, and the same
is, hereby amended by amending Section 9-1-4 by deleting subsection A., 1 through 4, and
replacing the same with similar provisions and by amending section 9-1-5 to increase the
requirement for registration from three (3) months to four (4) months, which shall read as follows:
"Sec. 9-1-4. Vaccination.
A. The owner or custodian (excluding animal shelters) of each domestic
dog or cat shall have the animal vaccinated against rabies by four months of age.
The animal must receive a booster within the 12 month interval following the initial
vaccination. Every domestic dog or cat must be revaccinated against rabies at a
minimum of at least once every three years with a rabies vaccine licensed by the
United States Department of Agriculture. The vaccine licensed by the United States
Department of Agriculture. The vaccine must be administered according to label
recommendations. Official rabies vaccination certificates shall be issued by the
vaccination veterinarian and contain the following information:
1. owner's name, address, and telephone number;
animal identification - species, sex (including neutered if applicable),
approximate age (three months to 12 months, 12 months or older),
size (pounds), predominant breed, and color;
3. vaccine used - producer, expiration date, and serial number;
4. date vaccinated;
5. date vaccination expires (revaccination due date);
6. rabies tag number if a tag is issued;
7. veterinarian's signature or signature stamp and license number.
Sec. 9-1-5. Registration; license.
A. The owner of a dog or cat 4 months of age or older shall annually
register the animal with the city. Written .....
C. Except as provided in subsection B, above, a person commits an
offense without regard to mental state, if the person owns, keeps, or harbors a dog or
cat over 4 months of age without having such dog or cat currently licensed by the
city.
SECTION 3. That Chapter 9 of the City of Coppell Code of Ordinances be, and the same
is, hereby amended by amending Section 9-1-13, Subsection B.i., by providing updated
provisions for the adoption of animals over six (6) months in age which have not been spayed or
neutered and amending Section 9-1-14, Subsection B.3.(c) to provide for the animal services
officer, which shall read as follows:
"Sec. 9-1-13. Adoption of dogs and cats.
B. Adoption.
A person may adopt a dog and/or cat from the City of
Coppell Animal Services and Adoption Center that has been
spayed or neutered and classified as adoptable. If the animal
has not been spayed or neutered and is over 6 months of age,
the new owner must make arrangements with a local
veterinarian to have the animal sterilized prior to taking
possession of the animal. An animal services officer will
transport the animal to the veterinarian the morning of the
procedure and the new owner will take final possession from
the veterinarian after the procedure has been performed. If
the animal has not reached 6 months of age the new owner
must sign an agreement to have the animal sterilized within a
given period of time determined by the releasing agency.
"Sec. 9-1-14. Animal quarantine.
Home quarantine at the residence of the owner, if approved
by the animal services officer, must satisfy the following
conditions:
A licensed veterinarian or an animal services officer
must observe the animal on the first and last days of
the quarantine period.
SECTION 4. That Chapter 9 of the City of Coppell Code of Ordinances be, and the same
is, hereby amended by amending Section 9-1-18 D.(1) to delete the provision for the attack on
another animal, which shall read as follows:
"Sec. 9-1-18.
Dangerous dogs.
D. Attack by dangerous dog.
1. A person commits an offense if the person is the owner of a
dangerous dog and the dog makes an unprovoked attack on a person
outside the dog's enclosure and causes bodily injury to a person or
another animal.
SECTION 5. Any person, firm or corporation violating any of the provisions of this
ordinance or Coppell Code of Ordinances, as amended, hereby, shall be deemed guilty of a
misdemeanor and, upon conviction in the municipal court of the City of Coppell, Texas, shall be
subject to a fine not to exceed the sum of Two Thousand ($2,000.00) dollars for each offense, and
each and every day such offense shall continue shall be deemed to constitute a separate offense.
SECTION 6. That this ordinance shall take effect immediately from and after its passage
and the publication of the caption, as the law and charter in such cases provide.
DULY PASSED by the City Council of the City of Coppell, Texas, this the ~4[~ day of
,2003.
ATTEST:
LIBBY BAI~, CITY SECRETARY
ROBE-~I~E. I-L~E~CITY ATTORNEY
(IDD/ajh/cdb 6/26/03)
6 56821