OR 2017-1474 Animal Services FerretsORDINANCE NO. 2017-1474
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
COPPELL, TEXAS, BY AMENDING THE CODE OF ORDINANCES, AS
HERETOFORE AMENDED, BY AMENDING CHAPTER 9 "GENERAL
REGULATIONS", ARTICLE 9-1. "ANIMAL SERVICES", BY
AMENDING SECTION 9-1-1 "DEFINITIONS", PROVIDING FOR A
NEW DEFINITION FOR `DOMESTICATED ANIMAL" AND `FERRET';
AND BY AMENDING DEFINITION OF "PROHIBITED ANIMAL"; BY
AMENDING SECTION 9-1-4 "VACCINATION" REDEFINING DOGS
AND CATS AND PLACE UNDER NEW DESIGNATION AS
`DOMESTICATED ANIMAL'; BY AMENDING SECTION 9-1-5
"REGISTRATION; LICENSE"; BY AMENDING SECTION 9-1-7
"REVOCATION AND DENIAL OF REGISTRATION"; BY AMENDING
SECTION 9-1-10 "IMPOUNDMENT"; PROVIDING A REPEALING
CLAUSE; PROVIDING A SAVING CLAUSE; PROVIDING A
SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; PROVIDING A PENALTY OF FINE NOT TO
EXCEED THE SUM OF TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS ($2,000) FOR
EACH OFFENSE; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, the City of Coppell desires to amend its animal general regulations to
regulate the owning of a domesticated ferret; and
WHEREAS, the City desires to add the definition of "Ferret" and amend the definition of
"Prohibited Animal" and add definition of "Domesticated Animal" to the Code of Ordinances in
Chapter 9 of the Code of Ordinances; and
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Coppell, Texas, has determined that it is in the
best interest of the health, safety, and general welfare of the community to establish regulations
for amending regulations in keeping a domesticated ferret within the City limits;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF COPPELL, TEXAS:
SECTION 1. That Chapter 9, General Regulations, Article 9-1, Animal Services, Section
9-1-1 Definitions of the Coppell Code of Ordinances, is hereby amended to add a definition of
"Domesticated animal" to include dogs, cats and ferret, add definition of "Ferret" and remove
"Ferrets" from the Prohibited Animal definition, which shall herein read as follows:
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"CHAPTER 9 — GENERAL REGULATIONS
ARTICLE 9-1. ANIMAL SERVICES
Sec. 9-1-1. - Definitions.
Domesticated animal shall mean an animal of a species of vertebrates that has been
domesticated by humans so as to live and breed in a tame condition and depend on
humankind for survival, such as dogs, cats and ferrets, but does not include livestock.
Ferret shall mean a domesticated animal that is a member of the Family Mustelidae but
not include weasels, skunks, martens, mink or badgers.
Prohibited animal:
1. Means an animal, other than a common domestic species.....
A. .....
C. Class Mammalia: Order Carnivora, Family Felidae (such as ocelots,
margays, tigers, jaguars, leopards, and cougars), except commonly accepted
domesticated cats; Family Canidae (such as wolves, wolf -dog hybrids,
Bingos, coyotes, and jackals), except domesticated dogs; Family Mustelidae
(such as weasels, skunks, martens, mink, and badgers, but does not include
ferrets); Family Procyonidae (raccoon) but does not include ferrets; .....
SECTION 2. That Chapter 9, General Regulations, Article 9-1, Animal Services, Section 9-
1-4. License Tag by designated veterinarian of the Coppell Code of Ordinances, is hereby amended
to redefine dogs and cats and add ferrets under a new designation as "domesticated animals"
vaccinated against rabies, which shall herein read as follows:
"CHAPTER 9 — GENERAL REGULATIONS
ARTICLE 9-1. ANIMAL SERVICES
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Sec. 9-1-4. - Vaccination.
A. The owner or custodian (excluding animal shelters) of each domesticated
animal shall have the animal vaccinated against rabies by four months of
age...... Every domesticated animal must be revaccinated against rabies at
a minimum of at least once every three years .....
B. Concurrent with the issuance of the certificate of vaccination the
veterinarian shall provide to the owner of the domesticated animal a metal
rabies tag serially numbered showing the date of vaccination ....."
SECTION 3. That Chapter 9, General Regulations, Article 9-1, Animal Services, Section 9-1-5.
Registration; license of the Coppell Code of Ordinances, to redefine dogs and cats and add ferrets
under a new designation as "domesticated animals", which shall herein read as follows:
"CHAPTER 9 — GENERAL REGULATIONS
ARTICLE 9-1. ANIMAL SERVICES
Sec. 9-1-5. — Registration; license.
A. The owner of a domesticated animal four months of age or older shall
annually register the animal with the city......
B. .....
C. Except as provided in subsection B. ..... if the person owns, keeps, or
harbors a domesticated animal over four months of age without having such
domesticated animal currently licensed by the city.
D. A person commits an offense without regard to mental state, if the person
owns, keeps, or harbors a domesticated animal required to be licensed .....
E. A person commits an offense without regard to mental state if the person
owns, keeps, or harbors a domesticated animal and displays on the animal
a city license tag issued to another animal.
F. A person commits an offense without regard to mental state if the person
owns, keeps, or harbors more than four animals (dogs, cats, ferret, or
combination thereof) over six months of age."
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SECTION 4. That Chapter 9, General Regulations, Article 9-1, Animal Services, Section 9-
1-7. Revocation and denial of registration of the Coppell Code of Ordinances, is hereby amended to
delete reference from "dogs and cats" to domesticated animals, which shall herein read as follows:
"CHAPTER 9 — GENERAL REGULATIONS
ARTICLE 9-1. ANIMAL SERVICES
Sec. 9-1-7. — Revocation and denial of registration.
B. If the animal services officer revokes or denies registration of a
domesticated animal, a written notice of the action and of the right to an
appeal shall be given to the owner......
C. Within 15 calendar days after receipt of a notice of revocation or denial of
registration, or after a final decision of the appeals board if an appeal is
filed, domesticated animal owner shall remove the affected animal from the
city limits......
D. A person commits an offense without regard to mental state, if the person
owns, keeps, or harbors a domesticated animal within the city during a
period when registration for the animal has been revoked or denied, or fails
to remove a dog, cat or ferret when required by this section.
SECTION 5. That Chapter 9, General Regulations, Article 9-1, Animal Services, Section 9-
1-10. Impoundment of the Coppell Code of Ordinances, is hereby amended to delete reference from
"dogs and cats" to domesticated animals, which shall herein read as follows:
"CHAPTER 9 — GENERAL REGULATIONS
ARTICLE 9-1. ANIMAL SERVICES
Sec. 9-1-10. — Impoundment.
A. The following animals may be impounded:
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1. Domesticated animals or miniature swine not exhibiting evidence of
vaccination or registration.
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SECTION 6: That all provisions of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Coppell, Texas, in
conflict with the provisions of this ordinance be, and the same are hereby, repealed, and all other
provisions not in conflict with the provisions of this ordinance shall remain in full force and effect.
SECTION 7. That should any word, phrase, paragraph, section or phrase of this ordinance
or of the Code of Ordinances, as amended hereby, be held to be unconstitutional, illegal or invalid,
the same shall not affect the validity of this ordinance as a whole, or any part or provision thereof
other than the part so decided to be unconstitutional, illegal or invalid, and shall not affect the validity
of the Code of Ordinances as a whole.
SECTION 8. An offense committed before the effective date of this ordinance is governed
by prior law and the provisions of the Code of Ordinances, as amended, in effect when the offense
was committed and the former law is continued in effect for this purpose.
SECTION 9. That any person, firm or corporation violating any of the provisions or terms
of this ordinance or of the Code of Ordinances, as amended hereby, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor
and upon conviction in the Municipal Court of the City of Coppell, Texas, shall be subjected to a fine
not to exceed the sum of Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000.00) for each offense; and each and every day
such violation is continued shall be deemed to constitute a separate offense.
SECTION 10. 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.
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DULY PASSED by the City Council of the City of Coppell, Texas, this the 2.3 ay of
2017.
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