§ 2.7-37. Notification of exotic wild animals.

(a)

Any person, institution, or organization that chooses to keep and care for exotic wild animals, as defined in section 2.7-21, shall notify the Washington County Animal Control Officer in a manner prescribed by the Sheriff's Office.

(b)

Upon notification of an exotic wild animal being kept in the County, the Animal Control Officer may visit and review the manner of containment of said animals.

(c)

Exotic wild animals must be contained in a manner approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and must be contained in a cage, fence, walled enclosure, building, or any other structure that is of sound construction so as to prevent said animals from escaping.

(d)

Owners or caretakers of exotic wild animals shall post, at the nearest access to a public roadway, at least one (1) notification of such animals and warning against illegal or unsupervised entry on to the property.

(e)

The Animal Control Officer will provide a copy of these regulations to those who submit a notification.

(f)

This section applies only to the unincorporated portions of the County and those incorporated municipalities that do not have the same or a similar ordinance in effect, and it shall be applied to all current and future residents, institutions, and organizations of the County that keep and care for exotic wild animals.

(Ord. No. 2016-22, Art. 1, 4-25-16)