Adams County Ordinances

Adams County

§ 145-5: Definitions.

Unless specifically defined below, words or phrases used in this article shall be interpreted so as to give them the meaning they have in common usage and to give this article a reasonable application which protects human health and humane treatment of animals. As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:

ANIMAL – Any member of the animal kingdom except human beings.
ANIMAL CONTROL AGENCY – The Adams County Sheriff’s Office and any other public or private agency delegated authority by the Health and Human Services Board to enforce portions of this article or any public or private agency designated by the state, County Supervisors or a municipality as its animal control agent.
ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER – A designated contractor or officer of the animal control agency.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS – The Adams County Board of Supervisors.
DANGEROUS ANIMAL – Includes all animals which are classified in the following animal families, which are subject to amendment by the Board of Supervisors:
1. Canidae: e.g., wolves, coyotes, foxes, and jackals, within the order Carnivora, but excluding Canis familaris, the domestic dog.
2. Felidae: e.g., lions, tigers, jaguars, leopards, cougars, lynx, ocelots, and bobcats, within the order Carnivora, but excluding Felis domestica, the domestic cat.
3. Ursidae: e.g., black bears, brown bears, grizzly bears, and polar bears, of the order Carnivora.
4. Cercopithecidae: e.g., baboons.
5. Pongidae: e.g., gibbons, orangutans, chimpanzees, and gorillas.
6. Hyaenidae: e.g., hyaenas.
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (HHS) BOARD – The Adams County Health and Human Services Board.
HEALTH DEPARTMENT – The Adams County Heath and Human Services (HSS) – Public Health Unit.
HEALTH OFFICER – The Manager of HSS – Public Health Unit, or his/her authorized representative.
KEEPING – The act of confining, harboring, maintaining, owning, or sheltering an animal.
OWNER – Any person confining, harboring, keeping, maintaining or sheltering an animal.
PERSON – Any agency, association, business, club, company, corporation, firm, individual, institution, organization, partnership, syndicate, trust, trustee or any federal, state or local governmental agency or instrumentality or other entity recognized by the law as the subject of rights and duties. The feminine, masculine, singular or plural is included in any circumstance.
VICIOUS ANIMAL – An animal that has attacked and/or bitten a person without provocation.
1. Dogs used in security or police work shall not be classified as vicious dogs if a bite or bites occur while the dog is actually performing in such a capacity.
2. Dogs shall not be classified as vicious dogs if a bite or bites are inflicted upon a person who is at the time of the bite or bites engaged in a criminal act against the person or property of another.
3. Animals used in agriculture, as defined by the United States Department of Agriculture, shall not be considered dangerous animals.

§ 145-6 Dangerous animals prohibited.

No persons shall keep a dangerous animal in Adams County except as allowed by § 145-7.

§ 145-7 Exceptions.

The prohibition contained in § 145-6 of this article shall not apply to the keeping of dangerous animals in Adams County in secure containment under these circumstances:

Dangerous animals kept at state-licensed veterinary hospitals, humane societies, licensed wildlife rehabilitators or animal control pounds for treatment or impoundment purposes.
Dangerous animals kept by federal, state, County and municipal authorities and their designees or veterinarians pursuant to the enforcement of this article or any animal control ordinance.
Dangerous animals kept by governmental agencies, colleges or universities accredited by the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement, medical institutions or research laboratories for instructional or research purposes.
Dangerous animals kept in zoos owned and operated by a municipality.
Dangerous native animals kept in licensed game farms or for fur pelting businesses on properly zoned land.
Dangerous animals commercially exhibited for 10 days or less.
Animals being commercially transported through Adams County.

Adams County’s eCode360

Last modified: 2024-04-17

City of Adams

Sec. 7-1-12 Prohibited and Protected Animals, Fowl, Reptiles and Insects

Protected Animals.
1. Possession and Sale of Protected Animals. It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to possess with intent to sell or offer for sale, or buy or attempt to buy, within the City any of the following animals, alive or dead, or any part or product thereof: all wild cats of the family felidae, polar bear (thalarctos maritimus), red wolf (canis niger), vicuna (vicugna vicugna), or alligator, caiman or crocodile of the order of crocodilia, gray or timber wolf (canis lupus), sea otter (enhydra lutris), Pacific ridley turtle (lepidochelys olivacea), Atlantic green turtle (chelonia mydas), Mexican ridley turtle (lepidochelys kempi).
2. Compliance with Federal Regulations. It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to buy, sell or offer for sale a native or foreign species or subspecies of mammal, bird, amphibian or reptile, or the dead body or parts thereof, which appears on the endangered species list designated by the United States Secretary of the Interior and published in the Code of Federal Regulations pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1969 (Public Law 135, 91st Congress).
3. Regulating the Importation of Certain Birds. No person, firm or corporation shall import or cause to be imported into this City any part of the plumage, skin or dead body of any species of hawk, owl or eagle. This paragraph shall not be construed to forbid or restrict the importation or use of the plumage, skin, body or any part thereof legally collected for use by the American Indians for ceremonial purposes or in the preservation of their tribal customs and heritage.
Exceptions. The provisions of Subsection (a) above shall not be deemed to prevent the lawful importation, possession, purchase or sale of any species by an public agency, institute of higher learning, persons holding federal permits, or by a person holding a Scientific Collectors Permit issued by the Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources of the state, or to any person or organization licensed to present a Circus.
Wild Animals; Prohibition on keeping. Except for state-licensed game farms, it shall be unlawful for any person to keep, maintain or have in his possession or under his control within the City any poisonous reptile or any other dangerous or carnivorous wild animal, insect or reptile, any vicious or dangerous domesticated animal or any other animal or reptile of wild, vicious or dangerous propensities. Specifically, it shall be unlawful for any person to keep, maintain or have in his possession or under his control within the City any of the following animals, reptiles or insects:
1. All poisonous animals and reptiles including rear-fang snakes.
2. Apes: Chimpanzees (Pan); gibbons (Hylobates); gorillas (Gorilla); orangutans (Pongo); ans siamangs (Symphalangus).
3. Baboons (Papoi, Mandrillus).
4. Bears (Ursidae)
5. Bison (Bison).
6. Cheetah (Acinonyxjubatus).
7. Crocodilians (Crocodilia), thirty (30) inches in length or more.
8. Constrictor snakes, six (6) feet in length or more.
9. Coyotes (Canis latrans).
10. Game Cocks and other fighting birds.
11. Hyenas (Hyaenidae).
13. Jaguars (Panthera ona)
14. Leopards (Panthera pardus).
15. Lions (Panthera leo).
16. Lynxes (Lynx).
17. Ostriches (Struthio).
18. Pumas (Fells concolor); also known as cougars, mountain lions and panthers.
19. Sharks (class Chondrichthyes).
20. Snow leopards (Panthera uncia).
21. Tigers (Panthera tigris).
22. Wolves (Canis lupus).
23. Poisonous insects.
24. No horses, mules, ponies, donkeys, cows, pigs, goats, sheep, chickens, poultry or any animal raised for fur-bearing purposes.
Exceptions: Pet Shops. The prohibition of Subsection (c) above shall not apply where the creatures are in the care, custody or control of: a State-licensed game farm; a veterinarian for treatment; agricultural fairs; shows or projects of the 4-H Clubs; a display for judging purposes; an itinerant or transient carnival, circus or other show; dog or cat shows or trials; public or private educational institutions; zoological gardens; if:
1. Their location conforms to the provisions of the zoning ordinance of the City.
2. All animals and animal quarters are kept in a clean and sanitary condition and so maintained as to eliminate objectionable odors.
3. Animals are maintained in quarters so constructed as to prevent their escape.

City of Adams’ Ordinances

Last modified: 2024-04-17

City of Wisconsin Dells

25.08 WILD OR VICIOUS ANIMALS

Keeping wild and vicious animals
1. Except as provided herein, it shall be unlawful for any person to keep or permit to be kept on his premises any wild or vicious animal for display or for exhibition purposes, whether gratuitously or for a fee. This section shall not be construed to apply to zoological parks, circuses, or exhibitions at which the animal is confined within a permanent enclosure.
2. It shall be unlawful for any person to harbor or keep a vicious animal within the city. Any animal which is found off the premises of its owner may be seized by any police officer or humane officer and upon establishment, to the satisfaction of any court of competent jurisdiction, of the vicious character of said animal, it may be killed by a police officer or humane officer; provided however, that this section shall not apply to animals under the control of a law enforcement or military agency, nor to animals which are kept for the protection of property, provided that such animals are restrained by a leash or chain, cage, fence or other adequate means, from contact with the general public or with persons who enter the premises with the actual or implied permission of the owner or occupant.
Definitions
1. “Wild animal” shall mean any live monkey or ape, raccoon, skunk, fox, snake, or other reptile, leopard, panther, tiger, lion, lynx or any other animal or any bird of prey which can normally be found in the wild state.
2. “Vicious animal” shall mean any animal which has previously attacked or bitten any person, domesticated animal or which has behaved in such a manner that the person who harbors said animal knows or should reasonably know that the animal is possessed of tendencies to attack or bite persons and/or domesticated animal. Notwithstanding section 25.08(1)(b) above, the Chief of Police has the authority to determine any animal to be vicious in nature.