Skip to main content
Loading…
This section is included in your selections.

A. “Food” Defined. In this section “food” means a nourishing substance that is eaten or otherwise taken into the body of an organism to sustain life, provide energy, or promote growth. “Food” also includes substances containing mineral nutrients, such as salt.

B. Except as provided in subsection (D) of this section, a person commits an offense if the person intentionally feeds deer or raccoons, or makes food available for consumption by said animals on private or public property within the territorial limits of the city.

C. A person shall be presumed to have intentionally fed deer or raccoons, or made food available for their consumption, if the person places food, or causes food to be placed, on the ground outdoors or in any outdoor area reachable by these animals.

D. This section does not apply to an animal control officer, veterinarian, peace officer, city employee, federal or state wildlife official, or prop-erty owner who is authorized by a local, state, or federal government to treat, manage, capture, trap, hunt, or remove wild animals and who is acting within the scope of the person’s authority.

E. This section does not apply to food that may derive from landscaping or gardening elements including shrubs, live crops, plants, flowers, vegetation, gardens, trees, and fruit or nuts that have fallen on the ground from trees.

F. The feeding of deer or raccoons does not include a person placing food on a public or private property for the purpose of feeding domestic livestock, pets, or wild birds.

G. The city shall identify and distribute materials to educate the community about the dangers to people and animals resulting from overpopulation of deer and raccoons in urban and suburban areas, and the contribution of feeding such animals to this overpopulation.

H. Penalties. Any person violating any provision of this section shall be guilty of an infraction and shall be punished by a fine not to exceed $250.00. [Ord. 2017-10-024 § 1].