§ 18-1. Definitions.

The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this chapter, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

Agency means the agency or entity, including its officers and agents, designated by the City of New Orleans to maintain an animal control program for the city.

Cat means any felis catus four months of age or older.

Community cat means a feral or free-roaming cat that is without visibly-discernible identification of any kind and has been sterilized, vaccinated, and ear-tipped. Community cats are exempt from licensing, feeding bans and registration requirements.

Community cat caregiver means any person other than an owner, keeper, custodian or harborer, who provides food or water to a community cat or community cats.

Cruelty to animals means the intentional or criminally negligent mistreatment of any animal by any act, or omission whereby unjustifiable physical pain, suffering, or death is caused to or permitted upon such animal.

Director means the Director of the Department of Health for the City of New Orleans or his duly authorized representative.

Dog means any canis lupis familiaris over four months of age.

Ear-tipped means removing approximately a quarter-inch off the tip of a cat's left ear while the cat is anesthetized for sterilization.

Feral cat means a cat that is born in the wild, is the offspring of an owned or feral cat and is not socialized, or is a formerly-owned cat that has been abandoned and is no longer socialized.

Ferocious animals means any wild or exotic animal that by virtue of its size, temperament, natural environment or present circumstances is capable of threatening the safety of a living being or one that may be given to extreme fierceness, unrestrained violence or brutality.

Keeper and/or custodian means any person other than the owner harboring or having in his possession any dog, cat or companion animal (excluding wild, exotic or ferocious animals).

Licensed veterinarian means a practicing veterinarian in the city who is licensed by and is in good standing with the Louisiana State Board of Veterinary Examiners.

Owner means any person owning, possessing, harboring, keeping, maintaining, or having or assuming the care, custody or control of an animal or fowl.

Wild or exotic animals means:

(1)

Any live monkey (nonhuman primate), raccoon, skunk, wolf, squirrel, coyote, fox, leopard, panther, tiger, lion, lynx, serval cat, or any other warm-blooded animal not otherwise defined;

(2)

Any venomous or constricting snake (such as Boidae family) that will grow to an adult size greater than three feet;

(3)

Any tarantula which can normally be found in the wild state;

(4)

Any member of crocodilian including, but not limited to, alligators, crocodiles, caimans and gharials;

(5)

Any exotic animal hybrid; or

(6)

Any rooster, cockerel, cock, or chanticleer.

Ferrets, nonvenomous snakes (other than constricting snakes that will grow to an adult size larger than three feet), rabbits, box or aquatic turtles, laboratory rats and skunks which have been bred and raised in captivity which have never known the wild, and pocket pets or pet rodents including, but not limited to, hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, chinchillas, sugar gliders or hedgehogs shall be excluded from this definition.

(Code 1956, § 7-1(a)—(j); M.C.S., Ord. No. 25205, § 1, 3-7-13)

Cross reference

Definitions generally, § 1-2.