(1)
Wild Animals Prohibited. No person shall keep a wild animal
in any place other than a zoological park, veterinary hospital or clinic, humane
society, circus or facility used for educational or scientific purposes, which
provides proper cages, fences and other protective devices adequate to prevent
such animal from escaping or injuring the public. No license shall be required
of persons exempted in this Section.
(2)
Sales or Exchanges
Disallowed. Subject to the exemptions of this Section, no person, whether or
not licensed under this article, shall sell, offer for sale or adoption or
[12] exchange with or without charge
any wild animal.
(3)
Licensing Wild Animals Owned at Passage of
Ordinance. Any person owning a wild animal at the time of enactment of this
title may license such animal provided that such licensing is perfected within
six (6) months of the effective date of this ordinance. All such animals
registered within this six (6) month period shall be licensed and the fee for
the licensing of such wild animal shall be fifty dollars ($50.00) each per
annum. Upon the death, sale, or disposal of said animal, the animal may not be
replaced.
(4)
Licensing Animals Kept for
Exhibit.
(a) Subject to exemptions of this Section, no person shall
keep, conduct or operate within the City of Philadelphia, any traveling animal
show, petting or children’s zoo, circus, animal act or miscellaneous
animal or reptile exhibit without first obtaining a special animal permit from
the Department of Licenses and Inspections.
(b) Each application for a
special animal exhibit permit shall be in writing upon a form to be furnished by
the Department of Licenses and Inspections and shall contain such information as
it shall require. The fee for such special animal exhibit permit shall be one
hundred dollars ($100.00).
(c) All special animal exhibit permits
issued by the Department of Licenses and Inspections shall be for a specific
period of time, not to exceed one (1) year, or until revoked or suspended, or
until the holder of such permit sells, assigns, transfers or otherwise disposes
of his interests therein.
(d) Upon certification by the Department of
Public Health or its authorized animal control officers, the Department of
Licenses and Inspections shall issue a permit to the applicant if it is found
that:
(i) The animals and the conduct or operation of the exhibit for
which the permit is requested, will not constitute a menace to the health,
welfare or safety of the community or the animal;
(ii) The premises
and facilities where such animals are quartered shall be maintained in a clean
and sanitary condition in order to control vermin and disease. All animal waste
is to be removed no less than every twenty-four (24) hours;
(iii) The
animals are to be provided with adequate food and drinking
water;
(iv) All animal cages and enclosures are to be constructed of
fire resistant material accompanied by fire fighting apparatus as may be
specified by the Fire Department;
(v) Supervision shall be provided in
order to prevent the mistreatment or injury of any animal by a customer or any
other person who has access to the animals; no person who has been convicted of
the crime of cruelty to animals shall be permitted to care for or have custody
of any animals; and
(vi) The premises and facilities comply with such
specific regulations as shall be promulgated by the Department of Public Health,
Fire Department, and the Department of Licenses and Inspections to carry out the
provisions of this Section.
(5)
Exceptions. Unless otherwise
stated, the provisions of this Section shall not apply to any zoological park or
educational institution incorporated or authorized to do business in
Pennsylvania as such; any humane society or animal shelter; any veterinary
hospital, clinic, or office; any bona fide research institution using animals
for scientific research or any primate whose purpose is to assist a handicapped
person.