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Placing a cap on a year-long debate, Havre City Council approved a revised animal ordinance that will, hopefully, make everyone happy.
The new ordinance consolidates two chapters, with 30 sections divided into separate chapters for dogs and animals, into on 23-section chapter titled "Dogs, Cats and Other Animals. "
Many of the changes are simply moving paragraphs around and updating language, according to the main person affected by the ordinance, Animal Control Officer Gordon Inabnit.
"A lot of the ordinance had terminology that went 100 years back, " Inabnit said. "So a lot of the terminology was just cleaned up. "
Another change to the ordinance is the addition, to the old ordinances vicious and nuisance animals, of the term aggressive animal.
In the old ordinance a nuisance animal was defined as an animal found "to destroy property or pets, to bite or chase after persons not trespassing on the property of, or injuring or attempting to injure the person, family or property of the owner, to chase vehicles in public streets or ways, or by prolonged howling, yelping or barking cause annoyance or disturbance to any person. "
In the new law a nuisance animal is an "animal that causes frequent or long continued noise, disturbing the peace of two or more persons in different households. "
The old law had no specific definition of a vicious animal, only what to do with them.
In the new law a vicious animal is an "animal biting in any manner, causing injury to human or property. "
The new term, aggressive animal, is defined as an "animal that destroys property or pets, attempts to bite or chases after persons not trespassing on the property of the owner, or injures or attempts to injure the owner, family or property of the owner. "
In the old ordinance, all violations were treated the same, saying the owner would be charged with a misdemeanor.
The new ordinance is more specific.
For nuisance animals, the first offense brings a fine of at least $50. A fourth offense holds an fine of at least $200 and the animal could be banned from the city.
A vicious animal only allows two offenses.
There is a list of six possible punishments that could be assigned in any combination, from a $300 fine to $50,000 liability insurance to a court order to euthanize the animal.
The second offense has only three punishment options: a $500 fine, animal banned from the city or the animal is put down.
The new category, aggressive animal, begins with a $100 fine, that goes up an additional $100 per offense.
The first two offenses require an animal owner to provide proof of insurance within five days.
The third and final offense, like a vicious animal, could lead to banning the animal or killing it.
After a year of discussions and dozens of draft changes and tweaks, Inabnit is excited to finally see some changes to the laws he must enforce, that hadn't previously been changed since 1986.
"It's actually been about 20 years of discussion with me, " Inabnit said, "but I'm glad to see some new ordinances, some that would be more enforceable. "
The new law does not make any changes to the city's chicken policies.
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