Chapter 55 – Animal Protection And Control

8. “Livestock” means an animal belonging to the bovine, caprine, equine, ovine or porcine species, ostriches, rheas and emus; farm deer as defined in Section 170.1 of the Code of Iowa; or poultry. (Code of Iowa, Sec. 717.1) 9. “Owner” means any person owning, keeping, sheltering or harboring an animal. 10. “Pet” means a living dog, cat, or an animal normally maintained in a small tank or cage in or near a residence, including but not limited to a rabbit, gerbil, hamster, mouse, parrot, canary, mynah, finch, tropical fish, goldfish, snake, turtle, gecko, or iguana. 55.02 ANIMAL NEGLECT. It is unlawful for a person who impounds or confines, in any place, an animal, excluding livestock, to fail to supply the animal during confinement with a sufficient quantity of food or water, or to fail to provide a confined dog or cat with adequate shelter, or to torture, deprive of necessary sustenance, mutilate, beat, or kill such animal by any means which causes unjustified pain, distress or suffering. (Code of Iowa, Sec. 717B.3) 55.03 LIVESTOCK NEGLECT. It is unlawful for a person who impounds or confines livestock in any place to fail to provide the livestock with care consistent with customary animal husbandry practices or to deprive the livestock of necessary sustenance or to injure or destroy livestock by any means which causes pain or suffering in a manner inconsistent with customary animal husbandry practices. (Code of Iowa, Sec. 717.2) 55.04 ABANDONMENT OF CATS AND DOGS. A person who has ownership or custody of a cat or dog shall not abandon the cat or dog, except the person may deliver the cat or dog to another person who will accept ownership and custody or the person may deliver the cat or dog to an animal shelter or pound. (Code of Iowa, Sec. 717B.8) 55.05 LIVESTOCK. It is unlawful for a person to keep livestock within the City except by written consent of the Council or except in compliance with the City’s zoning regulations. 55.06 AT LARGE PROHIBITED. It is unlawful for any owner to allow an animal to run at large within the corporate limits of the City. 55.07 DAMAGE OR INTERFERENCE. It is unlawful for the owner of an animal to allow or permit such animal to pass upon the premises of another thereby causing damage to, or interference with, the premises. 55.08 ANNOYANCE OR DISTURBANCE. It is unlawful for the owner of a dog to allow or permit such dog to cause serious annoyance or disturbance to any person by frequent and habitual howling, yelping, barking, or otherwise, or by running after or chasing persons, bicycles, automobiles or other vehicles. An owner shall not allow or permit any animal to make any noise that annoys, disturbs, offends, or unreasonably interferes with the comfortable enjoyment of life or property of the general public. 55.09 DOGS AND CATS LIMIT. A property owner or tenant who occupies any lot or portion of a lot that is zoned residential shall not keep more than three dogs and three cats at a residence. Any litters born by any of the animals kept legally at the residence will be allowed to remain until the puppies or kittens are eight weeks old, at which time they will be considered dogs or cats and will fall under the limitation stated above.