Taking a Dive into Vincennes Animal Ordinance: Highlighting the Importance

The main reason and importance of this Highlights the community cats, pet owners, and others.

Let's get started:

Public Nuisance Animals:

1. Interferes with passerbys or passing vehicles

2. Attacks other animals or persons

3. Is at large or unrestrained

4. Damages private or public property

5. Trespassing on school grounds

6. Barks, whines, howls, or makes other sounds common to its species in excess or continuously for 15 minutes or excessive 20 minute in a one hour period.

Most people believe community cats ( strays, feral, semi-feral, other) are a public nuisance.

So how does the city enforce this if a community cat is considered a public nuisance?

Here is the probable answer you may here:

If a stray or community cat/ feral cat is posing a public nuisance. They will be trapped. Spayed or neutered (if not already), vaccinated, and released. If posing a threat to a person or persons, this cat will be put down- straight up -

Now here is a simpler alternative:

If a cat becomes a public nuisance. Yes, not fixed already. Spay or Neuter. Although, house the feline to further test for possible health issues. Most times animals will be aggressive due to non visible health issues. Next off: Micro-chip. Yes, I believe community cats ( stray, feral, semi or other) all should be micro chipped and tagged.

To deal with a public nuisance cat isn't about putting a bandage fix on the problem. You have to research; why there is a problem.

Cruelty to Animals: 91.022

No person shall beat, cruelty treat, neglect, torment, overload, overwork, or otherwise abuse any animal except that reasonable force maybe employed to drive off vicious or trespassing animals.

How many people have been arrested under this ordinance?

More in likely given warning - Repeat.

Poisonous Bait: 91.025

No person shall set any type of poisonous substance or bait within the City limits that is deemed harmful to domestic or feral animals; provided however, that controlled programs under the direction of the city commission of health or a licensed extermination service maybe excluded.

Some cases:

Certain people have left; some type of liquid. Such as antifreeze. Intentional or not. One can't assume this doesn't happen. It does. In some parts of town... Animals either disappear or mysteriously end up sick. Yet, never investigated.

Abandonment of Animals: 91.026

No person shall abandon or cause to be abandoned any animal anywhere within the city limits in any public or private place, way, or building.

Trapping: 91.027

Traps discovered by the department of Animal Welfare to have been unlawfully set in the city maybe seized.

Injury to Animals caused by Motor Vehicle: 91.031

Any person operating a motor vehicle who causes injury or death to any animal shall stop at once, assess the extent of injury, and immediately notify the owner, animal control, or law Enforcement of the location of the animal.

Homeless Cats: 91.041

1. All homeless cat colonies shall:

   A. Operate in such a manner as to not constitute a public nuisance; and

   B. Comply with all of the provisions of this chapter that provides standards for the general care of Animals.

2. Any person who provides food, water, or shelter to a colony of homeless cats shall be registered with the department of Animal control as it's designee.

B. Managed homeless Cats.

The department of Animal control or it's designee; in order to encourage the stabilization and reduction of homeless Cat population in the city may:

1. Trap ( humane manner)

2. Surgically sterilized, ear-tipped or tattooed by a licensed veterinarian

3. Release for adoption or other disposition in accordance with the law or to a colony caretaker who will maintain the homeless Cat as part of a managed colony.

4. Department of Animal control may impound homeless cats in violation of this chapter and dispose in accordance with applicable law.

A. Any homeless Cat impounded at the city animal shelter that bears appropriate ear-tipping or tattoos indicating it belongs to a managed colony, if the colony can be determined, unless illness or injury present an imminent danger to public health and safety.

C. Colony Caretaker Responsibilities

1. Caretaker shall abide by standard T-N-R Guidelines devised by the animal control or it's designee regarding the provisions of food, water, shelter, and vet care to the managed colony.

2. A care taker shall not ever been convicted of Animal cruelty.

3. Caretaker shall not all a cat that is part of his/her colony to become a public nuisance.

Finally:

To the abandonment of Animals. To anyone that has a pet. You have a responsibility with that pet. Dogs and cats are not disposable. To say this coverage of the animal control ordinance: may seem to filter out what may apply to community cats. Also, have to realize. Individual, owners, or whoever may dump their unwanted animals anywhere at any given time. The community cat caretakers are strained enough without dealing with dumped, unfixed, felines.

If you wanna know more Vincennes Animal control ordinance. Chapter 91.

Michael Devine

Independent Writer