Enforcement of the Seminole County Codes Chapter 20, Ordinances Pertaining to Animals, is a major responsibility of the Seminole County Animal Services Division. The following is a list of the ordinances about which we receive the most questions. If you would like to register a complaint or if you have any questions about these ordinances, please call 407-665-5110.

CHAPTER 20

Section 20.16 CRUELTY TO ANIMALS

It shall be unlawful for any animal owner or person to cruelly deprive food, water, shelter and protection to any animal under his control and/or custody, or to abandon, poison, cruelly beat, cruelly whip or kill any animal under his, another's or no one's control and/or custody, or to mutilate, overdrive, overload, overwork, torment, torture or otherwise cruelly ill-use any animal.

Adequate shelter shall be provided to allow the confined or tethered animal to remain dry and protected from the elements at all times, and shall provide either natural or artificial shade that gives relief from direct sunlight, when sunlight is likely to cause overheating, serious injury, or death of the animal. If the shelter is an enclosure, the enclosure shall allow for adequate ventilation so as to prevent stress or discomfort to the animal. Potable water shall be available at all times, either free flowing, or in a clean receptacle.

This section shall not apply to wild animals killed in the hunt by customary and non-brutal methods nor to wild rats, mice, insects, fish, anthropods or vermin; nor shall this section apply to medical research organizations duly licensed and/or otherwise recognized or supported by state or federal law.

Section 20.17 ANIMALS AT LARGE

It shall be unlawful for any animal owner to allow, either willfully or through failure to exercise due care and control, his animal(s) to run at-large upon public property, unless said public property expressly authorizes the same, or upon private property of others, including common areas of condominiums, cluster homes, planned unit developments, and community associations without the consent of all owners thereof, unless said private property owners authorize the same by express or implied consent.

Section 20.18 URINATING & DEFECATING

It shall be unlawful for any animal owner to permit, either willfully or through failure to exercise due care and control, any animal to soil, defile, urinate or defecate on any private or public property, other than that of the owner, without expressed or implied consent.

Section 20.19 NOISY ANIMALS

It shall be unlawful for any animal owner to permit, either willfully or through failure to exercise due care and control, any animal, in a continuing or repeating manner, to bark, cry, howl, screech, squawk, scream, whine or cause other objectionable noises which disturb the comfort, peace, quiet or repose of any person residing in the vicinity. Upon the receipt of documentation of a complaint from a law enforcement agency or a statement signed by three (3) or more residents of Seminole County who reside in separate dwellings in the vicinity of the animal(s) or incident(s), averring that a violation of this Section exists, the Animal Control Official shall have reasonable cause to determine that a violation of this Section has occurred. The statements must be made under oath before an individual authorized by law to take acknowledgments and must set forth the pertinent facts relating to the incident(s), including the time(s), date(s), and location, the address or location of the owner of the animal as well as the complainants and a description of the animal(s). The Animal Control Official shall also have the authority to investigate suspected violations of this Section arising under any other circumstances.

Section 20.20 DAMAGING OR DESTROYING PROPERTY OR ANIMALS

It shall be unlawful for any animal owner to permit, either willfully or through failure to exercise due care and control, any animal to damage, harm, or destroy the property or animal of another person.

Section 20.21 ODORS

It shall be unlawful for any animal owner, either willfully or through failure to exercise due care and control, to maintain his animal or the premises upon which said animal is maintained in such a manner as to emit such offensive odors which disturb the comfort, peace or repose of any person residing in the vicinity.

Section 20.22 BITCHES AND FEMALE CATS IN HEAT

It shall be unlawful for the owner of any female dog or cat in heat to fail to confine said animal, either willfully or through failure to exercise due care and control, in such a manner so as to make said animal inaccessible to any male dog or cat except for intentional breeding purposes.

Section 20.29 REPORTING ANIMAL BITES

It shall be the duty of every attending practitioner licensed to practice medicine, osteopathic medicine, or veterinary medicine or any other person knowing of or in attendance on a case to promptly report to the Seminole County Health Department every instance in which a person is bitten by an animal.

Section 20.51 RABIES VACCINATION REQUIRED

It shall be unlawful for the owner of any rabies-susceptible animal, for which a licensed vaccine is available, to fail to have said rabies-susceptible animal vaccinated against rabies by a licensed veterinarian of his choice.

Section 20.52 LICENSE TAG REQUIRED

Every person owning, keeping, harboring, or controlling any rabies-susceptible animal, except livestock, into the County, shall within 30 days of bringing such animal into the County, register said rabies-susceptible animal, except livestock, with the Animal Control Official and obtain a license tag number.

Section 20.57 ANIMAL TO WEAR TAG

The required license tag shall be worn by the rabies-susceptible animal at all times unless a licensed veterinarian or the Animal Control Official shall certify that the wearing of said tag is impossible, impractical, or dangerous to the particular type animal involved.

Section 20.83 (G) STANDARDS OF CARE

No animal shall be transported by private or public means in an open vehicle, unless housed in a container designed for that purpose, providing for adequate ventilation, food and water. The container shall have an open grill at one end, have a solid top and bottom and a minimum of fifteen percent (15%) of the total accumulated side and end area shall incorporate an open grill for air circulation.