In Jackson, Mississippi, an animal that damages public or private property is considered a public nuisance and it is the duty the animal's owner to prevent his or her animal from becoming a public nuisance. Additionally, in these ordinances, an animal control officer is authorized to discharge a firearm as the sole effective means for controlling a public nuisance. These ordinances also prohibit any person except a licensed veterinarian from cropping a dog's ears and also provide penalties for any person violating this chapter.
Sec. 18-1. Definitions.
Sec. 18-3. Penalty for violation of chapter.
Sec. 18-4. Cropping dogs' ears or performing other surgical procedure.
Sec. 18-11. Responsibility of owner generally.
Sec. 18-21. Elimination of animals—Authorized in certain cases.
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Animal means any live, vertebrate creature, domestic or wild.
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Animal control officer means any person designated by the city as a law enforcement or animal control officer who is qualified to perform such duties under the laws of this state.
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Owner means any person, partnership, or corporation owning, keeping, or harboring one or more animals. An animal shall be deemed to be harbored if it is fed or sheltered.
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Public nuisance means any animal which:
(1) Molests passersby or passing vehicles;
(2) Attacks other animals;
(3) Trespasses on school grounds, in city parks, or in zoological parks;
(4) Is repeatedly at large;
(5) Damages private or public property;
(6) Barks, whines, or howls in an excessive, continuous, or untimely fashion; or
(7) Is allowed by its owner to become a nuisance to people or other animals.
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(Code 1971, § 6-1)
Cross reference— Definitions generally, Chapter 1: General Provisions § 1-2: Person. The word "person" shall extend and be applied to associations, clubs, societies, firms, and bodies politic and corporate as well as to individuals or groups of individuals..
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Sec. 18-3. Penalty for violation of chapter.
Any person violating any provision of this chapter, except as provided for in sections 18-13(c) and 18-91, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by a fine of not less than $25.00 nor more than $500.00 or imprisonment in the city jail not to exceed 30 days, or by both fine and imprisonment. If any violation is continuing, each day's violation shall be deemed a separate violation.
(Code 1971, § 6-3)
Sec. 18-4. Cropping dogs' ears or performing other surgical procedure.
No person shall crop a dog's ears or perform any other major or minor surgical procedures except a licensed veterinarian.
(Code 1971, § 6-6)
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Sec. 18-11. Responsibility of owner generally.
No owner shall fail to exercise proper care and control of his animals to prevent them from becoming a public nuisance.
(Code 1971, § 6-13)
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Sec. 18-21. Elimination of animals—Authorized in certain cases.
(a) Vicious animals or feral dogs. When an animal is determined by the superintendent of animal control to be a vicious animal or a feral dog, that animal may be destroyed by the superintendent of animal control or his designee providing each of the following requirements is met:
(1) The animal is running at large.
(2) There is no vaccination tag around the animal's neck.
(3) Attempts to peacefully capture the animal have been made and proved unsuccessful.
(b) Incurably injured or diseased animals. It shall be the duty of the police and duly authorized animal control officer to discharge a firearm in order to mercifully end the life of an animal suffering from an incurable injury or disease or as the sole effective means of controlling a public nuisance or health hazard including, but not limited to: pigeons, rabbits, squirrels, snakes and feral dogs.
(Code 1971, § 6-24)
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