Haverford's rules on animals

By: 
Fran
Date: 
Wednesday, November 5th, 2008

ARTICLE III Keeping of Animals and Fowl (§ 49-24 - § 49-32)

[Adopted 11-8-2004 by Ord. No. 2432-2004]

§ 49-24 Definitions.

Unless otherwise expressly stated, the following words and phrases shall be construed throughout this article to have the meaning herein indicated.

DIRECTOR OF HEALTH
The Health Officer of Haverford Township or his duly authorized representative(s).
FARM ANIMALS
Horse, cattle, donkeys, pigs, sheep, goats, chickens, ducks, llamas, geese, guinea fowl, domestic fowl, roosters, swans, turkeys, and nonpoisonous snakes, native to Haverford Township.
HEALTH DEPARTMENT
The Health Department of Haverford Township.
NUISANCE
A public condition adversely affecting the health of the general public.
OWNER
The owner, owners, operator or operators of any building, structure or property, whether individual, firm, corporation, association or partnership.
PERSON
Any individual, firm, corporation, association or partnership, and includes the singular as well as the plural and the female as well as the male.

§ 49-25 Area limitations.

From and alter the effective date of this article, no person shall keep or raise any farm animals and maintain within the limits of this Township any structures, buildings, shelters or pens for any farm animals on any lot less than one acre in area. Such structures, buildings, shelters, or pens shall be so located on the property as to be at least 100 feet from any building used for human habitation, and at least 50 feet from any property line. Any person desiring to erect such structure, building, shelter, or pen for farm animals must first obtain any necessary building permits from the Department of Codes Enforcement.

§ 49-26 Sanitation.

A.

Every structure, building, shelter or pen any animal is kept in shall be constructed of such material and in such manner that it can be kept clean and sanitary.

B.

Every structure or building where farm animals are kept shall be provided with a watertight and fly-tight receptacle for manure or animal refuse, of such dimensions as to contain all accumulations of manure or animal refuse, which container shall be emptied sufficiently often and in such manner as to prevent it becoming a nuisance. Such receptacle shall be kept securely covered at all times except when open during the deposit or removal of manure or refuse. No manure or animal refuse shall be allowed to accumulate except in such receptacle.

C.

The Director of Health shall require such measures necessary in order to avoid a nuisance, shall require that such structure or other building be screened tightly against flies and that it be provided with running water, sewer drain connections and flooring impervious to water, except where the animal is stabled., and that such other measures be taken as may be necessary to ensure proper protection of the public health and safety and compliance with this article.

D.

It shall be unlawful for any person to place, leave, or allow to accumulate any food matter directly upon any premises in such a manner that it can provide a food source for any animal, rodent, or other vermin.

E.

All structures, buildings, pens, corrals, coops, or yards wherein any animals or horses are kept shall be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition, devoid of all rodents and vermin and free of objectionable odors.

F.

It shall be unlawful for the owner of any animal to permit such animal to run at large upon or to cause damage to any buildings, lawns, shrubbery or any other real or personal property of others, or to cause any annoyance to persons in the Township of Haverford.

§ 49-27 Noise nuisance.

It shall be unlawful for the owner of any animal to permit said animal to create a nuisance to any citizen in the Township by causing any unseemly noise for extended periods of time, whether confined inside a structure, building, shelter, corral, pen or coop or any other outside area.

§ 49-28 Prohibitions.

No person is permitted to maintain, keep or possess within the Township of Haverford any of the following animals, which classification shall be broadly construed.

All poisonous animals including rear-fang snakes

Apes: chimpanzees (Pan) gibbons (Hylobates); gorillas (Gorilla) orangutans (Pongo) and stamangs (Symphalangus)

Baboons (Papio, Mandrillus)

Bears (Ursidae)

Bison (Bison)

Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus)

Crocodilians (Crocodilia), 24 inches in length or more

Coyotes (Canis Latrans)

Deer (Cervidae); includes all members of the deer family; for example white-tailed deer, elk, antelopes, moose

Elephants (Elephas and Loxodonta)

Gamecocks; i.e., fighting birds

Hippopotami (Hippopotamidae)

Hyenas (Hyaenidae)

Jaguars (Panthers onca)

Leopards (Panthera pardus)

Lions (Panthera Leo)

Lynxes (Lynx)

Monkeys, Old World (Cercopithecidae)

Ostriches (Stuthio)

Piranha fish (Characidae)

Pumas (Fellis concolor); also known as cougars, mountain lions and panthers

Rhinoceroses (Rhinocero tidae)

Sharks (Class Chrondrichthyes)

Snakes; all snakes, native or otherwise, exceeding 4 feet in length

Snow leopards (Panthers uncia)

Swine (Suidne)

Turtles (Chelonia)

Tigers (Panthera tigris)

Wolves (Canis Lupus)

§ 49-29 Number of dogs restricted; exceptions.

No more than four dogs three months of age or older shall be kept, maintained or harbored in any residential housing unit located on any lot less than one acre in area or in any industrial or business establishment or on its grounds. This restriction shall not apply to properly licensed catteries, kennels, pet shops, pounds and shelters.

§ 49-30 Inspections.

The Director of Health shall inspect any such structure, shelter, pen, corral, coop or yard on any premises against which a complaint had been made and issue any such order as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this article.

§ 49-31 Penalties.

Any person, firm or corporation violating any provision of this article shall, upon summary conviction before any District Justice of the Peace, pay a fine not exceeding $1,000 and costs of prosecution and, in default of one payment of the fine and costs, the violator may be sentenced to the county jail for a term of not more than 30 days. Each and every day in which any person, firm or corporation shall be in violation of this article shall constitute a separate offense.

§ 49-32 Inconsistent ordinances repealed.

All ordinances and parts of ordinances inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed.