Injuring, Poisoning, Trapping Animals Prohibited

5-1-103 - Injuring, poisoning or trapping animals prohibited

A.   A person who accidentally or otherwise strikes an animal with an automobile and injures it shall notify the animal welfare division.
B.   No person shall expose or give to any animal any poisonous substance whether mixed with food or not. This provision shall not apply to eradication or population control by a professional, state licensed animal control official or game warden.
C.   No person shall set or expose an open jaw type trap, leg hold trap, snare trap, or any type trap which would likely cause physical harm or injury to any animal. This provision shall not apply to persons who are licensed by the state to trap animals as provided in Section 4-119 of Title 29 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
D.   Live traps available for use by the public through the Lawton Animal Welfare Division are authorized to assist in the capture of domestic and non-domestic animals constituting a nuisance. A deposit as stipulated in the fee schedule shall be required and will be reimbursed to those persons issued traps provided the trap is returned to the Animal Welfare Division in operable condition. Any animal trapped in a live trap shall be reported immediately to the Lawton Animal Welfare Division for removal. Any person leaving an animal in a trap which results in, or contributes to, distress, dehydration or the death of the animal may be cited for violation(s) as set forth in the Municipal Code.
E.   Trap-neuter-return/TNR shall be permitted, within the city limits of Lawton, by animal rescue groups registered with animal welfare to conduct a TNR program.
1.   Such organization will oversee registered feral cat colonies and feral cat caregivers;
2.   An eartipped feral cat received by animal rescue groups or animal welfare will be returned to the location where it was trapped unless veterinary care is required;
3.   An eartipped cat trapped by animal welfare will be released on site unless veterinary care is required, at which point it will be surrendered to a local animal rescue group;
4.   Feral cat caregivers are empowered to reclaim impounded feral cats without proof of ownership;
5.   A feral cat caregiver who returns a feral cat in conjunction with TNR is not deemed to have abandoned the feral cat.
(97-33, Amended, 07/22/1997)
(Ord. 2007-06, Amended, 03/15/2007)
(Ord. No. 11-44, § 1, 9-13-2011; Ord. No. 16-35, § 2, 12-13-2016)
State Law reference— Poisoning animals, 21 0.S. Sec. 1681.

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Injuring, Poisoning, Trapping Animals Prohibited

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