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When used in this chapter, the following words shall have the following meanings:

“Abandonment” means leaving of an animal by its owner or owners or other person or persons responsible for its care or custody without making effective provisions for its proper care.

“Animal” means any animal other than humans.

“Animal control officer” means any person or persons empowered by the City to enforce the provisions of this chapter.

“Animal Shelter” means the facility designed by the city for the boarding and caring of any animal impounded under the provisions of this chapter or any other ordinance or law of the State of Washington.

“Barnyard Animals” includes, but is not limited to, horses, mules, cattle, sheep, swine, goats, rabbits, turkeys, geese, ducks, swans, ostriches, emu, rhea, or other flightless birds, except chickens.

“Cats” means any animal of the species Felidae, regardless of sex.

“Common areas of a condominium, city house, or apartment buildings” include but are not limited to the yards, grounds, patios, garden areas, play areas, clubhouses, swimming pools, sidewalks, walkways, common garage areas, entry ways, hallways, and driveways.

“Dogs” means any animal of the species Canidae, regardless of sex.

“Dog Owner” means any person, firm, partnership, corporation, trust arrangement, or the like who owns, keeps, or harbors a dog or dogs.

“Guard Dog” means a dog trained to protect persons or property by attacking or threatening to attack any person found within the area patrolled by the dog. These dogs must be registered with the city as a guard dog.

“Household Pets” means dogs, cats, rabbits, pigeons, mice, hamsters, gerbils, parakeets, canaries, finches, and other similar exotic fowl and song birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and other similar animals and fowl kept for companionship or for personal enjoyment.

“Running at large” means off the premises of the owner and not under the effective control of that owner, his agent, servant, or competent member of his family by means of a leash, cord, or chain reasonable in length; except that, for the purpose of this definition, the “premises of the owner” shall not include common areas of a condominium complex, city houses, and apartment buildings, and any animal not in the effective control of its owner upon the common area of a condominium, city house or apartment building, or the grounds thereof, shall be deemed to be running at large.

“Vicious animal” means any animal that constitutes a physical threat to humans or other domestic animals, whether or not such animal has ever displayed any vicious tendencies, bitten, attacked, or threatened any person or domestic animal before that time. This is a specific abandonment of the common law concept that every dog was allowed one vicious act before being declared vicious.

“Potentially Dangerous Dog” and “Dangerous Dog” have the meaning given them in RCW Chapter 16.08 as now enacted or hereafter amended, recodified or extended.

“Wild Animal” means any live nonhuman primate, coyote, raccoon, skunk, fox, poisonous snake, leopard, panther, tiger, lion, lynx, or any other warm-blooded animal which can normally be found in the wild state. An animal that is one-fourth coyote or more shall be considered a wild animal.

All other words and phrases used herein will have their commonly accepted meanings. [Ord. 2021-03 § 1, October 2021; Ord. 1999-03, October 1999.]