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AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND CHAPTER 50 OF THE JONESBORO ORDINANCES TO ESTABLISH STANDARDS FOR THE JONESBORO DOG PARK
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WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Jonesboro, Arkansas desires to establish a dog park in the City of Jonesboro; and
WHEREAS, the dog park shall be located at the Earl Bell Community Center; and
WHEREAS, it is the desire of the City Council to provide for the rules and regulations of the dog park for the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens and dogs using the park.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF JONESBORO, ARKANSAS THAT CHAPTER 50 PARKS AND RECREATION SHALL BE AMENDED TO ADD ARTICLE III DOG PARKS TO INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING LANGUAGE:
Sec.50-31 Location; purpose
1) The Earl Bell Dog Park is located at the Earl Bell Community Center and is available for use by Jonesboro residents and/or visitors only.
2) The dog park is a location set aside for dogs and their owners to exercise and play off leash in a controlled (i.e. fenced) environment.
3) Users of the dog park do so at their own risk. Dog behavior can be unpredictable around other dogs and strangers. Dog owners/handlers are strictly liable for any damage or injury caused by their accompanied dog(s).
Sec. 50-32 Dog park season
1) The dog park shall be open daily from 7:00 am until 8:00 pm.
2) It shall be unlawful for anyone to loiter, idle, wander, stroll or play in the dog park when it is closed. However, if anyone applies for permission to carry out an activity in the dog park during the hours it is closed and the director of Jonesboro Parks Department determines that such activity will not create a disturbance or public nuisance; the director shall have the authority to issue a special permit for such activity.
Sec.50-33 Dog park use, generally
1) A copy of the dog park rules shall be posted on signage at the park and shall be available on the city website. A copy may also be obtained in the office at the Earl Bell Community Center.
2) Dogs under six (6) months of age are not allowed in the dog park.
3) Only dogs accompanied by an owner/handler at least 18 years of age are permitted to be in the dog park.
4) It shall be unlawful for any person to bring a dog weighing 30 pounds or more into the designated “small dog area’ of the dog park.
5) It shall be unlawful for any person to bring a dog weighing 30 pounds or less into the designated “large dog area” of the park.
6) An owner/handler may not accompany more than two dogs in the dog park at any one time.
7) Dogs must wear collars (no pronged, pinched, or spiked collars) or harnesses bearing current vaccination information at all times while in the dog park. In addition, owners/handlers must be able to immediately provide paper documentation that each animal at the park is current on all vaccinations at the request of any park employee, animal control officer, or police officer.
8) Dog owners/handers must be in possession of a leash or other means of physical restraint at all times. Dogs must be on leash to and from the dog park access points.
9) Dog owners/handlers must limit their use of electronic devices so that the use does not interfere with their ability to actively monitor their dog’s behavior.
Sec. 50-34 Care of dog park
1) Dog owners/handlers are required to remove and properly dispose of all animal waste immediately. It shall be unlawful to leave the dog park without first cleaning up and disposing of all animal waste left by an accompanied dog.
2) Dog owners/handlers must stop any accompanied dog from digging and must fill any holes caused by an accompanied dog. It shall be unlawful for a dog owner/handler to leave the dog park without first filling any holes caused by an accompanied dog.
3) Dog owners/handlers/visitors are responsible for properly using all of the elements provided in the dog park including, but not limited to, the fencing, the gates, the benches, the fountains, the exercise apparatus, etc., and will be responsible for the costs to repair any element that is not properly used.
4) Dog owners/handlers/visitors are responsible for reporting any activity that violates any provision of this Article. Violations shall be reported to the Jonesboro Parks Department or the Jonesboro Animal Control Department.
Sec. 50-35 Dog park health rules
1) Full current immunizations (rabies, DHLLP or DAPPL, and Bordetella) of all dogs are required and must be shown upon request of any park employee, animal control officer, or police officer.
2) It shall be unlawful for any owner/handler to bring a dog that has a contagious condition, disease, parasites, or fresh wound into the dog park.
Sec. 50-56 Bites and aggression in the dog park
1) All dog bites by a dog in the dog park must be reported to the Jonesboro Animal Control Department. It shall be unlawful for any owner/handler to fail to report a bite by their dog or the dog of another person within 24 hours of the incident.
2) Dogs showing aggression towards people or other dogs must be removed from the dog park immediately. It shall be unlawful for any owner/handler to fail to immediately leash and remove any dog showing aggression from the dog park. Dogs that exhibit aggressive behavior are not allowed in the dog park at any time.
3) It shall be unlawful for any person to bring any dog deemed to be a vicious dog or a dangerous dog by any state or local government or agency into the dog park.
Sec. 50-57 Children in the dog park
1) No child under seven years of age is permitted in the fenced in area of the dog park. It shall be unlawful for a parent or guardian to permit a child less than seven years of age to be in the fenced in area of the dog park.
2) Every child over seven and under eighteen years of age in the dog park must be accompanied by an adult who is at least eighteen years of age and who is directly supervising the activities of that minor child. It shall be unlawful for a parent or guardian to permit a child over seven and under eighteen years of age to be in the dog park unless the child is accompanied by an adult who is at least eighteen years of age and who is directly supervising the activities of that minor child.
3) Dog owners/handlers must be 18 years of age or older.
Sec. 50-58 Unlawful possession.
1) While in the dog park it shall be unlawful:
a. For any person to possess food for humans or dogs, including dog treats.
b. For any person to possess/use tobacco products, herbal products, vapes, alcoholic beverages, or glass containers.
c. For any person to possess dog toys,
d. For any person to possess or unleash an animal other than a dog.
e. For any person to possess/use a skateboard, skates, a bicycle, a scooter, or any other wheeled apparatus. The operation of a non-motorized wheelchair or motorized mobility device by a person with physical disabilities is exempt from the sub-section.
Sec. 50-59 Penalties
1) Any person who violates this section shall be subject to the following:
a. First offense: a fine not less than $100.
b. Second offense: a fine of not less than $250.
c. Third and subsequent offenses: a fine of not less than $500 and shall be expelled from the dog park for no less than one (1) year.
2) In addition, any person who fails to comply with dog park rules and regulations may be subject to expulsion from the dog park by a City of Jonesboro park employee, animal control officer, or police officer.
3) Any person who has been expelled or banned from the dog park and returns to the dog park premises (with or without a dog) shall be guilty of criminal trespass.
PASSED AND APPROVED this 20th day of November, 2018.