Animal Defecation Ordinance Proposed
The Village of Jackson Center is proposing an ordinance establishing regulations for the removal of animal defecation. A first reading was held on June 22nd and is proposed for passage on July 13th.
The Village of Jackson Center has an obligation to provide for the public health, safety, and general welfare of the residents of the Village of Jackson Center and animal wastes contribute significantly to the quantity of bacteria and organic matter in storm water runoff and can have harmful effects on aquatic life, other wildlife, and humans. The risk of storm water contamination increases if pet wastes are allowed to accumulate in yards or left on sidewalks, streets, driveways, or drainage ways from which they can be carried along the storm water superhighway directly into streams; and the Village of Jackson Center has received several complaints regarding animal defecation occurring and not being removed from private property and sidewalk.
The Village desires to diminish the undesirable impact of such conduct upon the citizens of the village and the purpose of this ordinance is to promote health, safety and general welfare of animals and the people around them by requiring the removal of animal defecation from public property and private property; and no current ordinance exists in the Village of Jackson Center. The ordinance proposed is already in place in most communities.
The proposed ordinance is as follows:
ANIMAL DEFECATION; NUISANCE; REQUIRED REMOVAL.
- The feces deposited by the defecation of any animal upon any public land, street or right of way or upon the land of any private property owner other than that of the owner of the animal or the person in charge thereof, creates an unsanitary and unhealthy condition and is hereby declared to be a nuisance.
- No person being the owner or in charge of any animal shall permit such animal to defecate upon any public land, street or right of way or upon the land of any private property owner within the Village.
- Where the owner or person in charge or control of such animal immediately, and before taking such animal from the area where the defecation occurred, cleans the area and removes the feces and disposes of it in a sanitary manner in a proper receptacle, the nuisance shall be considered abated.
- The accumulation of defecation upon any property where animals are kept creates an unsanitary and unhealthy condition and is hereby declared to be a nuisance.
- No person being the owner or person in charge of any animal shall permit the accumulation of defecation upon the property where the animal is kept. The owners or person in charge of the animal shall maintain the property where the animal is kept in a clean and sanitary condition by the regular removal of the defecation of such animal in a proper, sealed sanitary receptacle.
Whoever violates this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor.
