Boonville Animal neglect or abandonment prohibited ordinance (§ 4-47)

(a) Animal neglect. An owner or controlling party is guilty of animal neglect when he/she fails to provide adequate care, shelter or control of an animal which creates an unreasonable risk of injury to an animal or results in harm to the animal or harm to a person or other domestic animal, including failure to comply with one or more of the following:

(1) Owners or controlling parties will ensure that all animals are kept in an environment that has both shelter and temperature suitable for that species and/or breed. This includes environments that are inside and outside. (2) Owners or controlling parties will ensure that all areas where animals are kept are cleaned regularly so that fecal matter is disposed of so not to attract insects or rodents, become unsightly or cause objectionable odor.

(3) Owners or controlling parties must provide animals with access to clean, unfrozen water in a tip-proof bowl at all times as well as nutritious food at least once daily.

(4) Owners or controlling parties will ensure that animals confined to outside pens have not less than 150 square feet of open space per each animal housed.

(5) Owners or controlling parties leave an animal tethered outdoors for more than nine continuous hours a day.

(6) No owner or controlling party shall have an animal in their possession that is known to, or suspected to, have an untended injury, accidental injury or deliberate injury, or to exhibit any signs of disease, shock, temperature fluctuations, tremors, swelling, open wounds, inability to eat, blistering or abnormal bleeding, partial paralysis, discharging blood or mucus or any other sign that the animal is not in good health. Owners or controlling parties are required to seek professional veterinary medical attention.

(b) Animal abandonment. An owner or controlling party is guilty of animal abandonment when he/she has knowingly abandoned an animal in any place without making provisions for adequate care or fails to redeem the animal from the city animal shelter upon notification. This includes, but is not limited to, any owner or controlling party that moves from a residence or business and leaves any domestic or farm animal without returning to provide adequate care for the animal(s).