(a)
A person
commits an offense if he/she possesses or keeps any wild animal within
the city.
(b)
A person
commits an offense if he/she sells, offers for sale, barters, exchanges,
trades, leases, rents, gives away, offers to give away or otherwise
transfers ownership of any wild animal.
(c)
Nothing
in this section shall be interpreted to restrict a person from giving
ill, injured or orphaned wildlife to a zoological park, wildlife rehabilitator
or wildlife education organization or to restrict a zoological park,
wildlife rehabilitator or wildlife education organization from transferring
animals to another such entity.
(d)
It is
a defense to prosecution if the owner is:
(1)
A
governmental agency or entity performing a governmental function;
or
(2)
A
bona fide medical or research facility possessing all the required
federal, state and local permits and in compliance with all the requirements
of said permits; or
(3)
A
zoological park possessing all the required federal, state and local
permits and in compliance with all the requirements of said permits;
or
(4)
A
wildlife educational organization possessing all the required federal,
state and local permits and in compliance with all the requirements
of said permits; or
(5)
A
wildlife rehabilitator possessing all the required federal, state
and local permits and in compliance with all the requirements of said
permits; or
(6)
Performing
an animal exhibition possessing all the required federal, state and
local permits and in compliance with all the requirements of said
permits; or
(7)
A
licensed veterinarian who harbors the animal in a veterinary clinic
for the purpose of treatment or veterinary care; or
(8)
Transporting
the animal in interstate commerce and possessing all the required
state and federal permits and in compliance with all the requirements
of said permits; or
(9)
A
commercial film or television studio possessing all the required federal,
state, and local permits and in compliance with all the requirements
of said permits, so long as the commercial or television studio notified
the animal services manager prior to bringing the wild animals into
the city.
(Ordinance 2021-10468, § 2,
adopted 7/22/2021)