(a) Every owner/guardian/colony caretaker of an animal within the city shall see that his animal:
(1) Is kept in a clean, sanitary, and healthy manner and is not confined so as to be forced to stand, sit, or lie in its own excrement;
(2) Has proper and adequate food, water, shelter, and protection from the weather;
(3) If diseased or injured, receives care as necessary to prevent suffering and, if diseased, is segregated from other animals so as to prevent the transmittal of the disease to other animals.
(b) Any domestic pet or feral cat that is owned or harbored and habitually kept outside or repeatedly left outside unattended by an adult person for such periods of time as may cause suffering or endanger the health or well-being of the animal shall be provided with a structurally sound, moistureproof and windproof shelter large enough to keep the animal reasonably clean and dry and provide adequate protection from the cold and heat. Shelter must be placed in a dry area free of debris, feces and standing water.
(c) If multiple animals are present in one location, each animal must have access to shelter and the owner/guardian/colony caretaker must meet all standards for each animal, as detailed in this section.
(d) The shelter must have bedding to provide insulation and protection against cold and dampness and promote the retention of body heat.
(e) Appropriate medical care and grooming of animals must be provided.
(f) No chain or tether shall weigh more than one-eighth of the animal’s body weight.
(g) Any chain or tether shall be at least ten feet in length and have swivels on both ends.
(h) Any chain or tether must be attached to a properly fitting buckle-type collar or harness worn by the animal. Choke collars and pinch collars are prohibited for purposes of tethering an animal to a stationary object or cable run. A person may not wrap a chain or tether around an animal’s neck. A chain or tether used to restrain an animal must, by design and placement, be unlikely to become entangled.
(i) It shall be unlawful for the owner/guardian/colony caretaker of any animal to keep or maintain the animal on a tether for a period of more than ten continuous hours and no more than twelve hours in any twenty-four hour period, or for any duration under conditions, which threaten the health, or well-being of the animal.
(j) A muzzle may not be worn continuously as a means for controlling barking.
(k) A person may not restrain an animal in a manner that does not allow the animal to have access to necessary shelter, water and food.
(l) A person may not restrain an animal in a manner that allows the animal to move outside property owned, lawfully occupied or controlled by the person.
(m) Any person who owns or harbors any intact female dog or cat shall, during the period that such animal is in heat or in estrus, shall keep such dog or cat in a secured area that prevents a male dog or cat from having access to such female, except for controlled breeding permitted by the owner/guardian/colony caretaker of the female. Additionally, the female dog or cat shall not be chained or tethered in a manner that prevents her from defending herself or from avoiding a mate.
(n) It shall be unlawful for any person to place or confine or allow any animal to be confined in such a manner that it must remain in a motor vehicle, trailer or pet carrier under such conditions for such periods of time as may cause suffering or endanger the health or well-being of the animal due to extreme temperatures or lack of food or water.
(o) No person shall intentionally or unintentionally cause or allow the breeding of more than one litter per female cat or dog in a twelve-month period.
(p) Any animal control officer may issue to any person in violation of this section a notice of ordinance violation. The penalty established in subsection (q) of this section may, at the discretion of the animal owner/guardian/colony caretaker, be paid to the city of Bloomington animal care and control department within seventy-two hours in full satisfaction of the assessed penalty. In the event that such payment is not made within the period prescribed, proceedings shall be filed in the county court of competent jurisdiction.
(q) Persons who violate any provision of this section shall be subject to a fine of fifty dollars for each offense. (Ord. 07-01 § 20, 2007; Ord. 05-33 § 10 (part), 2005: Ord. 99-39 § 57, 1999; Ord. 81-101 § 12, 1981: Ord. 77-74 § 6 (part), 1977).