ORDINANCE 2007-07

 

(Amending Skamania County Code Title 6 Animals, Chapter 6.04 Dog Control By Adding New Section 6.04.010 Definitions, New Section 6.04.070 Police Dogs, Deleting Section 6.04.110 Impoundment Authority, and Amending Sections 6.04.020, 6.04.030(A), 6.04.060(B), 6.04.081, 6.04.130 and 6.04.161)

 

WHEREAS, Skamania County Code Chapter 6.04 establishes regulations for the control of dogs in Skamania County; and

 

WHEREAS, Skamania County has determined a need to amend Chapter 6.04 Dog Control to include language for clarification and enforcement;

 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by Skamania County Board of Commissioners that new Sections 6.04.010 Definitions and 6.04.070 Police Dogs are hereby added, that Section 6.04.110 Impoundment – Contracted services is hereby deleted, and that all remaining sections of Chapter 6.04 Dog Control are renumbered accordingly.

 

Sections:

  6.04.010        Definitions.

  6.04.010020  License required.

  6.04.020030  Failure to license.

  6.04.030040  License term – Tag – Fee.

  6.04.040050  Recordkeeping by auditor.

  6.04.050060  Commercial licenses.

    6.04.070      Police Dogs.

  6.04.060080  Running in packs.

  6.04.070090  Running at large.

  6.04.081100  Impoundment  - Authority.

  6.04.090110  Impoundment – Notice - Disposal.

  6.04.100120  Impoundment – Redemption fees and charges.

  6.04.110        Impoundment – Contracted services.

  6.04.120130  Impoundment – Holding and disposal.

  6.04.130140  Impoundment – Interference.

  6.04.141150  Impoundment – Court hearing.

  6.04.151160  Potentially dangerous animals.

  6.04.160170  Right of self-help.

  6.04.161180  Penalty clause.

  6.04.162190  Savings clause.

 

6.04.010  Definitions.

 

A.    “Harass” means to disturb or irritate persistently.

B.     “Nuisance” means a source of inconvenience, annoyance, vexation or bother.

C.     “Violation Notice” means either a written warning or a citation.

6.04.070  Police Dogs.

 

In addition to the statutory protections granted to a police dog and found in RCW 9A.76.200; it shall be unlawful to harass a police dog regardless of duty status, while said police dog is confined in its quarters, an automobile kennel, fenced area, training area, or while it is under the control of a dog handler.

 

6.04.110 Impoundment – Contracted services.

 

The Skamania County animal control officer is authorized to enter into a contract from year to year with any other person, firm or corporation, who shall provide a place for the care for impounded dogs, and the person, firm or corporation shall be designated as the “poundmaster.”  The poundmaster and/or his agents are authorized to impound the dogs in the name of the county and to retain or dispose of the same until all fees and expenses as provided in Section 6.04.100 have been paid in full.

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Sections 6.04.020, 6.04.030(A), 6.04.060(B), 6.04.081, 6.04.130 and 6.04.161 are hereby amended.

 

6.04.020030  Failure to license.

 

Any person, firm, or corporation failing to license a dog as required in Section 6.04.010020 above may receive a citation by any person authorized under Section 6.04.080100 to issue such a citation, charging the person, firm or corporation with failure to license the dog.  Thereafter, the person, firm or corporation shall have ten days in which to license the dog and failure to do so within that period of time will result in a civil fine of not less than twenty-five dollars nor more than one hundred dollars.

 

6.04.030040  License term – Tag – Fee.

 

A.  The dog license referred to in Section 6.04.010020 shall be an annual license and shall expire at midnight on the 31st day of December of the year in which the same was issued.  It shall be a metal tag bearing an identification number, the words “Skamania County”, and a designation of the year it was issued.  The tag shall be attached to a dog collar to be worn by the dog at all times.

 

6.04.060080  Running in packs.

 

B.  “Pack,” for the purposes of this chapter means three or more dogs congregating, grouping or running together.  Hounds, licensed under Section 6.04.050060, are excluded from this definition, provided that identification is attached to the hounds when they are out of the kennel or compound.

 


6.04.081100  Impoundment – Authority.

 

Any person employed by the county as an dog-catcheranimal control officer, or any deputy sheriff of Skamania County, or any person contracted with for such services, is authorized to impound any dog found in violation of any of the sections of this chapter, whether or not the dog is licensed as provided for in this chapter, and is authorized to impound any unlicensed dog or dogs without a license displayed on their collar, found running at large, whether or not in violation of any other provisions of this chapter.  Further, any person authorized to impound any dog is also authorized to issue a citation for failure to license, as referred to in Sections 6.04.010 020 and 6.04.020 030 of this chapter.  In addition, any dog that has bitten any person, or has harmed any other animal, shall constitute a nuisance and may be impounded by such person.

 

6.04.130140  Impoundment – Interference.

 

It is unlawful for any person to interfere in any way with any deputy sheriff, police officer, or any other person employed to act as an dog catcher animal control officer who is engaged in seizing or impounding any dog under authority of this chapter; and the penalty for any such shall be a misdemeanor and a fine not exceeding one hundred dollars and imprisonment for not more than ten days may be imposed, or any part thereof.

 

6.04.161180 Penalty clause

 

In addition to any other penalties provided by any other provisions contained in this chapter, the violation of any section of this chapter shall be a misdemeanor and punishable by a civil find of up to one hundred dollars.  This penalty shall be in addition to all other penalties and shall apply to the violation of any provisions in this chapter for which no other penalty is specifically provided Any violation of this chapter is a civil infraction and the punishment shall be as provided by Section 1.16.020 of the Skamania County Code.

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the effective date shall be the date of adoption.

 

REVIEWED IN REGULAR SESSION this 19th day of June 2007, and set for public hearing on the 31st day of July 2007 at 1:30 p.m. and continued to the 7th day of August at 5:30 p.m.