Source: https://hawkinsville-pulaski.org/departments/animal-control/
Timestamp: 2019-04-22 02:22:02+00:00

Document:
We perform a variety of services that help animals as well as the public: rescuing injured or sick animals, controlling stray and potentially dangerous animals roaming at large, from private and public property and transporting lost pets to the animal shelter where their owners can reclaim them. Animals that bite are quarantined and placed under observation to make sure the threat of rabies does not exist. Other situations which we investigate are animal cruelty and abuse, complaints of animal noise annoyance, unsanitary conditions, and abandoned animals. To contact Animal Control please call (478) 783-1212.
The fees charged for the impoundment of any animal under the provisions of this chapter shall be as fixed from time to time by the city commission and on file in the office of the city clerk.
Editor’s note— Ord. No. 2013-2, § 2, adopted Sept. 9, 2013, deleted § 4-7, in its entirety and enacted new provisions to read as herein set out. See Code Comparative Table for derivation.
(a) Any animal seized and impounded under any of the provisions of this chapter shall be detained for a period five (5) working days; and if ownership of the animal is not determined within that period, the animal shall be disposed of in such a manner as the control officer may designate. Any animal seized that is wearing identification tags shall be kept for ten (10) days and the animal control unit shall attempt to notify the owner by writing or phone is possible.
(b) If anytime in the required waiting period set forth, the owner indicates to the animal control officer his intention not to reclaim the animal, the balance waiting period shall be waived and the animal shall be disposed of.
(c) If at any time during the required waiting period, examination of the animal by the animal control officer indicates to be severally sick and/or to be a threat to the health of other animals detained in the impoundment, the balance waiting period shall be waived and the animal shall be disposed of.
(d) Nothing herein shall prevent the animal control officer from killing an animal when it is determined that such animal is a menace to public safety or to other animals and cannot be impounded within reasonable effort.
Editor’s note—An ordinance of July 1, 2002, amended ch. 4 in its entirety. Formerly, said chapter pertained to similar subject matter as adopted by the 1969 Code, as amended. See the Code Comparative Table.
Cross reference— Removal of animal carcasses, § 9-3; noise produced by dogs and cats, § 11-3(b)(3); animals and vehicles, § 15-2.
State Law reference— City’s and county’s authority to exercise animal control, Ga. Const. art. IV, § II, ¶ III(a)(3); livestock running at large or straying, O.C.G.A. § 4-3-1 et seq.; permitting dogs in heat to roam or run free, O.C.G.A. § 4-8-6; Dangerous Dog Control Law, O.C.G.A. § 4-8-20 et seq.; Georgia Animal Protection Act, O.C.G.A. § 4-11-1 et seq.; control of rabies, O.C.G.A. § 31-19-1 et seq.; cruelty to animals, O.C.G.A. § 16-12-4; liability of owner or keeper of vicious or dangerous animal for injuries caused by animal, O.C.G.A. § 51-2-6.
The Board of Commissioners of the City of Hawkinsville, Georgia finds that there are many domesticated animals roaming and running loose in the City of Hawkinsville, including but not limited to dogs and cats, which cause or may cause inconvenience, damage, or injury to persons, other animals, public and private property, and that is in the best interest of the health and welfare of the citizens of Hawkinsville, Georgia to reduce such hurt, inconvenience, damage and injury to persons, other animals and to public and private property.
Domesticated animal means any animal raised to live in close proximity to man. Such animals shall include dogs, cats, livestock or reptiles.
Domesticated animal at large means any animal running loose not under the restraint or control of the owner or representative of the owner on or off the premises of the owner.
Owner means any person who owns, or possesses, harbors or keeps, or knowingly permits an animal to be harbored or kept or has an animal in his care, or who permits an animal to remain on or about his premises for more than three (3) days.
(6) Has been found to be a public nuisance animal by virtue of being a menace to the public health welfare or safety.
Vaccination means a protection against rabies by inoculation with anti-rabies vaccine given in an amount sufficient to provide immunity from rabies for a minimum period one (1) year.
Animal control officer means a person designated by the Board of Commissioners of the City of Hawkinsville, Georgia for the purpose of administration and enforcement of the provisions of this animal control chapter.
Animal shelter means any facility operated by or participated in by the City of Hawkinsville, Georgia under contract for the purpose of impounding or caring for animals held under the authority of this chapter.
Governing authority means the Board of Commissioners of the City of Hawkinsville, Georgia.
Jurisdiction means the incorporated area within the City of Hawkinsville, Georgia.
Inhumane treatment of animal means the failure, omission, or neglect to provide adequate food, water, shelter and protection from the elements and the failure to provide an appropriate vaccination for an animal.
Sec. 4-3. – Animal control officer.
(a) There is hereby created the office of animal control officer, which officer shall enforce the provisions of this chapter.
(b) The animal control officer is authorized to issue citations to persons violating this article for trial in a municipal or other court having jurisdiction.
(c) The animal control officer, as well as employees and agents of the animal control officer, and persons under his control and supervision, are empowered to seize animals as required by this chapter so long as the animals are within the jurisdiction. These employees and agents have the right to go onto private property within the jurisdiction for the purposes of enforcing the provisions of this chapter provided it is necessary for such purpose. Animal control officers shall have the authority to issue citations and subpoenas to witnesses and to require their appearance in municipal or other court having jurisdiction on any matter relating to the enforcement of any provision contained herein.
(d) The animal control officer shall be appointed by the Board of Commissioners of the City of Hawkinsville and may be appointed in accordance with an agreement with the City of Hawkinsville and Pulaski County, Georgia.
(e) The City of Hawkinsville may contract with Pulaski County, Georgia for joint animal control services; for the hiring of an animal control officer and other employees, and for the provision of an animal shelter.
(f) The Board of Commissioners of the City of Hawkinsville may assign additional duties or the duties of animal control officer to any officer or employee of City of Hawkinsville.
(g) The animal control officer is authorized to make whatever inquiries are deemed necessary to insure compliance with the provisions with this chapter. All law enforcement officers of the City of Hawkinsville shall cooperate with animal control officers in enforcing the provisions of this chapter.
(a) The owners and keepers of all cats and dogs are hereby required to have such cats and dogs vaccinated against rabies by a licensed veterinarian. No person shall own, keep or harbor any cat or dog over three (3) months of age unless such cat or dog is vaccinated.
(b) All cats and dogs shall be vaccinated against rabies by a licensed veterinarian accordance with the latest recommendations published by the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians.
(c) A certificate of vaccination shall be issued to the owner of each animal vaccinated.
(d) Each owner shall affix a durable vaccination tag indicating the month and year for which the certificate was issued. The tag shall be securely affixed to the collar of each animal and such collar and tag shall be worn continuously by any cat or dog for which the certificate has been issued. Tags are not transferable.
Sec. 4-5. – Prohibited acts.
(1) Animals running at large: It is unlawful for any owner or person in possession of an animal to cause or permit an animal to run at large in or upon, across or through any public or private property without the consent of the owner thereof.
(2) Animal disturbing the peace: It is unlawful for any person to allow any animal in his or her possession or control to persistently or continuously bark, howl or make noise common to their species or otherwise to disturb the peace and quiet of those within hearing distance of such noise. It shall likewise be unlawful to keep or maintain animals in such manner as to produce noxious or offensive odors, or to otherwise endanger the health and welfare of the surrounding inhabitants.
(3) Dog control: No person owning or otherwise having a dog in his or her care, charge, control, custody or possession shall cause or permit or allow such dog to be in or upon any public or private area unless such dog is under complete control and restraint of the owner. Dogs that prohibited in those areas so designated and posted by the City of Hawkinsville, Georgia.
(4) Cat control: No person owning or otherwise having in his or her care, charge, control, custody or possession shall cause, permit or allow such cat to be in or upon any public or private area unless such animal is under complete and restraint of owner. Cats are prohibited in those are so designated and posted by the City of Hawkinsville, Georgia.
(5) Fail to cleanup: Any bodily waste or discharge from animals; It is unlawful for any owner or person in control of an animal to fail, admit, or neglect removing and cleaning up any bodily waste or discharge of any such animal on or upon any public or private property of another.
(6) Keeping of sick or diseased animals: It is unlawful for any person to own, possess, control or be in charge of any animal which is seriously sick, diseased or injured without providing proper treatment in care of such animal. This section shall not be construed to include animals under the care of veterinarians or veterinary hospitals.
(7) Putting out poison: It shall be unlawful for any person to scatter or put out or otherwise distribute any poison in any form whatsoever which is or may likely be sufficiently lethal or of such a strength to cause death or harm any animal without obtaining a permit to do from the Board of Commissioners of the City of Hawkinsville, Georgia. The Board of Commissioners of the City of Hawkinsville, Georgia may in their discretion, refuse issue to such permits.
(8) Inhumane treatment: It shall be unlawful for any owner of a cat or dog to fail, omit, or neglect to provide for such cat or dog adequate food, water, shelter, and protection from the elements. It shall be unlawful for any person to treat any cat or dog in a cruel and inhumane manner, to abandon it, or release it upon public or private property with the intention of abandoning it.
(9) Animal fights: It is unlawful for any person to promote, stage, hold, conduct, manage, carry on, pay for, attend or own any animal for the purpose of participating in any game, exhibition, contest or fight in which one (1) or more animal is engaged for the purpose of injuring, killing, maiming, or destroying another animal, themselves or any other thing.
(10) Female dogs or cats in heat: It shall be unlawful for the owner of any female dog or cat to allow the animal to run at large on any public or private property and/or to fail to restrain or confine the animal to the property of the owner while such animal is in heat.
(11) Vaccination requirement: It shall be unlawful for the owner of any dog or cat to fail, omit or neglect vaccinating such animal and attaching the property tags for and where evidencing of vaccination is provided for in section 4-4.
(12) Destruction of property: It shall be unlawful for any animal to destroy or damage private of public property.
Pet owners in compliance with any prior ordinance limiting the number of animals shall be allowed to keep said number of animals.
A litter of puppies or kittens shall be permitted to remain on property for a period of twelve (12) weeks after their birth.
This limitation shall not apply to licensed foster home operators, breeders or other individuals who have been granted a waiver by the city commission provided that the commission finds that there are exceptional and extra ordinary circumstances existing such that a waiver should be granted, that granting the waiver will not confer upon the applicant any special privileges that are denied to others, that the waiver will not be injurious to the neighborhood or the general welfare of the neighborhood; and that the applicant can demonstrate a special use or need to house animals in greater numbers than provided herein. A special use or need shall be deemed to include, but not be limited to, participation in a licensed animal rescue organization, use of animals for therapeutic or other purposes, emergency care of pets owned by other persons, or other circumstances which are specified in the application for waiver.
A sign containing information as to the proposed waiver, and the date and time in which the application for waiver will be considered by the commission shall be posted in a conspicuous location on the property not less than fifteen (15) days prior to the date of the hearing. The application shall be sent to the commission for review, hearing and approval/denial thereof. The commission shall have thirty (30) days in which to make a decision. Any waiver approved by the commission may be revoked upon the applicant being found in violation of the nuisance provisions of this section.
(b) A violation of the for going provisions shall be fined of no more than one thousand dollars ($1,000.00), imprisonment for a period not greater than one (1) year, probation for a period no greater than one (1) year, such hours of community services may be imposed by the presiding judge, or such other punishment as may be deemed appropriate by the presiding judge.
(c) If at anytime during the required waiting period, examination of the animal by the animal control officer indicates to be severally sick and/or to be a threat to the health of other animals detained in the impoundment, the balance waiting period shall be waived and the animal shall be disposed of.
Sec. 4-8. – Unlawful interference by third parties.
(a) No person shall without the knowledge or consent of the owner, hold or retain possession of any animal which he or she does not own for more than forty-eight (48) hours without first reporting the possession of such animal to the animal control officer. This section shall not apply to those non-profit organizations whose purpose is the protection of animals.
(b) No person shall willfully cause the animal to be in violation of portion chapter.
(c) It shall be unlawful for any person to attack, assault, or in anyway physically or verbally threaten or interfere with the animal control officer, his agents, employees or those acting at his direction in his performance of those duties required to enforce this chapter.
(d) It shall be unlawful to tamper, destroy or take any trap, snare or other devise which has been set by the animal control officer, his employees, agents or representatives.
(2) Kill any animal causing injury or damage to any livestock, wild game or poultry.
(f) Penalties for violation under this provision shall be a fine not less than one hundred dollars ($100.00) and such other punishments as maybe provided for other offenses of this Code section or as maybe imposed by the presiding judge.
(4) Individuals with personal knowledge of any violation upon the filing of the sworn compliant with the Municipal Court of the City of Hawkinsville, Georgia or the Magistrate Court of Pulaski County, Georgia.
Sec. 4-10. – Severability provision.
If any portion of this chapter is held to be invalid, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.
Sec. 4-11. – Applicability of chapter.
The provisions of this chapter are to be construed as to repeal and supercede any existing ordinance with respect to the subject matter.
Sec. 4-21. – Definitions; standards.
(2) Substantially conform to the standards established by the United Kennel Club for American Pit Bull Terriers.
(b) The current standards of the American Kennel Club and United Kennel Club referred to in this article and incorporated herein shall remain on file in the office of the city manager.
Sec. 4-22. – Registration; pit bull dog pups; fee.
(a) In order to insure and monitor compliance with the requirements of this article, no pit bull dog shall be kept, harbored or maintained in the city unless such animal has been registered by the owner with the animal control officer for the City of Hawkinsville. Owners shall have from the date of adoption of this amended ordinance until October 1, 2013 to register these dogs and comply with all of the requirements of this article. This prohibition shall not be applied to animals being transported through the city limits where the animal enters and leaves the city within a one-hour period of time.
(6) Proof of proper enclosure as required in this article.
(c) Upon proper registration, city shall provide to the pit bull owner a tag to verify registration which shall be and remain attached to the dog’s collar.
(d) Pit bull dogs shall be subject to the provisions in this article and all other provisions in this chapter.
(e) A pup born to a female pit bull shall be licensed and registered pursuant to this article. The owner shall have six (6) months from the birth of the dog to register the animal with the animal control officer for the City of Hawkinsville.
(f) The fee for registration pursuant this article shall be ten dollars ($10.00).
Sec. 4-23. – Liability insurance; surety bond.
(2) A surety bond in the amount of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00) or more issued by a surety company authorized to transact business in this state and payable to any person injured by the pit bull dog.
Sec. 4-24. – Proper enclosure.
(a) Every owner of a pit bull dog subject to this article shall at all times maintain for said dog a proper enclosure. A proper enclosure means an enclosure for keeping a pit bull dog while on the owner’s property securely confined indoors or in a securely enclosed or locked pen, fence or structure suitable to prevent the entry of younger children and designed to prohibit the dog from escaping said enclosure. Any such enclosure shall have secure sides and a secure top, and, if the dog is enclosed within a fence, all sides of the fence shall be of sufficient height and the bottom of the fence shall be constructed or secured in such a manner as to prevent the dog from escaping either from over or from under the fence. Any such enclosure shall also provide protection from the elements for the dog.
(b) At any time that a pit bull dog is not confined in a proper enclosure as described herein, the dog shall be muzzled in such a manner as to prevent it from biting or injuring any person or animal, and kept on a leash with the owner or custodian in attendance.
(c) An exception to this Code section is hereby provided for any pit bull dog being attended to by a veterinary professional, or while participating in any lawful dog show, contest or exhibition sponsored by a dog club, association, society, or similar organization.
(a) Upon complaint or upon reasonable grounds to believe that a person owns or is keeping or harboring an unlicensed pit bull dog on any premises within the city, the Hawkinsville Animal Control Officer may cause the matter to be investigated.
(b) When a unlicensed pit bull dog is impounded by the city, the city shall give notice to the owner of the impoundment and advise the owner whether and under what circumstances the dog may be redeemed. The owner of any animal impounded, or confined pursuant to the terms of this article shall be responsible for all costs of such confinement and impoundment.
Sec. 4-26. – Removal of unlicensed pit bull dog pending litigation.
Whenever any person is charged with harboring an unlicensed pit bull dog as defined in this article, that person shall, to the satisfaction of the Municipal Court, remove said dog from the city until the trial of the citation. If the owner fails to remove the dog within forty-eight (48) hours of the service of the citation, the animal control officer shall impound the dog until the trial on the citation. If the dog is determined by plea or trial to be an unlicensed pit bull dog provided by this article, it shall not be returned or kept in the city.
Sec. 4-27. – Violation; penalty.
Any person who shall violate any provision of this article shall upon conviction in the municipal court of the City of Hawkinsville be punished as provided in section 1-12 of this Code.
A separate offense shall be deemed committed on each day during which a violation of any provision of this article occurs or continues. In addition to the foregoing penalties, any person who violates this article shall pay all expenses, including shelter, food, handling, veterinary care and expert testimony fees necessitated by enforcement of this article.

References: § 2
 § 4
 § 9
 § 11
 § 15
 § 4
 § 4
 § 4
 § 4
 § 31
 § 16
 § 51