The 1st day of spring is a week from today and very soon we’ll see an increase in visitors and residents walking their companion animals throughout the City. The following information is being provided in an effort to increase visitor and resident awareness regarding City Ordinances related to Animals and their owner’s responsibilities.
Sec. 5-16. Duty to remove animal waste: The owner of every dog shall be responsible for the removal of any excreta deposited by his dog(s), except on the owner’s property. Any person walking a dog on the public beach or public property must carry the appropriate equipment to remove and dispose of any excreta deposited by his dog(s). No owner of any animal shall permit or allow the accumulation of animal droppings, feces, urine, or other animal waste on any property.
Sec. 5-20. Dogs and other animals in Wick line Park or Veteran’s Memorial Park: It shall be unlawful for any person owning or having under his or her control any dog or animal to permit such dog or animal in Wickline Park or Veteran’s Park. The provisions of this section shall not be intended to apply to seeing-eye dogs properly trained to assist blind persons, when such dogs are actually being used by blind persons for the purpose of aiding them in going from place to place.
Sec. 5-26. Duty of care: It shall be the duty of every animal owner or person having charge, care custody, or control of any animal to prevent his or her animal from causing physical injury to any person, or damage, injure, harm or destroy the property or animal of another person.
Sec. 5-27. Leash requirements: No animal shall be allowed on any public beach or public property or right-of-way unless the person having charge, care, custody, or control of such animal has the animal on a leash not exceeding eight (8) feet in length.
Sec. 6-5. Dogs on beach: It shall be unlawful for any person owning or having under his or her control any dog or animal to permit such dog or animal upon the Atlantic Ocean Beach within the corporate limits of the city, from North Tenth Street to South Tenth Street.
The provisions of this section shall not be intended to apply to Seeing Eye dogs properly trained to assist blind persons, when such dogs are actually being used by blind persons for the purpose of aiding them in going from place to place. Dogs must be on a handheld leash/harness, not to exceed eight (8) feet in length, and under the control of the owner/handler.
Sec. 5-29. Noisy animals; nuisance: It shall be unlawful for the owner of any animal to permit, either willfully or through failure to exercise due care and control, any animal, in a continuing or repeating manner, to bark cry, howl, screech, squawk, scream, whine, or cause noises which disturb the comfort, peace, quiet or repose of any person residing in the vicinity. Upon the receipt of documentation of a complaint from a law enforcement agency or a statement signed, sworn and notarized by three (3) or more residents of Flagler Beach who reside in separate dwellings in the vicinity of the animal(s) or incident(s), alleging that a violation of this section exists, the animal control/services officer shall have reasonable cause to determine that a violation of this section has occurred. The statements must set forth the pertinent facts relating to the incident(s), including the time, date, and location, the address or location of the owner of the animal(s) as well as the address or location of the complainants.
Sec. 5-30. Confinement of dangerous animals: (a) The owner of any dangerous animal shall confine the animal within a building, cage or other secure enclosure and shall not take said animal from said building, cage or secure enclosure unless said animal is securely leashed, tethered, chained, muzzled, anesthetized and/or otherwise restrained so as to protect persons and other animals; provided, however, that this section shall not apply to law enforcement or rescue animals actually engaged in law enforcement or rescue operations. The owner of any dangerous animal shall also post appropriate signage on his or her property at the entrance to any building or enclosure in which the animal is confined notifying the public of the dangerous animal.
Should you have any questions about the aforementioned City Ordinances, please feel free to contact the Flagler Beach City Clerk’s Office or the Flagler Beach Police Department for assistance.