(1) “Abandon” means to desert, leave behind, or quit providing for an animal.

(2) “Abatement” means the termination of any violation by reasonable and lawful means determined by the Animal Control Officer in order that a person or persons presumed to be the owner shall comply with this chapter.

(3) “Abuse” means to mistreat or wrongfully use an animal.

(4) “Adult dog or cat” means any dog or cat over the age of six (6) months.

(5) “Agent of the owner of livestock” means any person who rents pasture to the owner of livestock, or any tenant of any person who rents pasture to the owner of livestock, or any person who is the caretaker of the pasture or livestock.

(6) “Ameliorate” means to make or become better; improve.

(7) “Animal” means any domestic animal as defined in subsection (19) of this section, any inherently dangerous animal kept by any person as defined in subsections (30) and (31) of this section, and all livestock as defined in subsection (36) of this section.

(8) “Animal Control Authority” means Clallam County, acting alone or in concert with other local governmental units for enforcement of the animal control laws of the County and State and the shelter and welfare of animals.

(9) “Animal Control Officer” means any individual employed, contracted or appointed by the Animal Control Authority for the purpose of aiding in the enforcement of this title or any other law or ordinance relating to the licensing of animals, control of animals or seizure and impoundment of animals. “Animal Control Officer” includes any State or local law enforcement officer, Deputy Sheriff, or other employee whose duties in whole or in part include assignments which involve the enforcement of animal control laws. “Animal Control Officer” also includes those Humane Society employees authorized by the court, pursuant to RCW 16.52.011, to enforce animal control laws.

(10) “Animal shelter” means a facility which is used to house or contain stray, homeless, abandoned or unwanted animals and which is owned, operated or maintained by a public body, an established humane society, animal welfare society, society for the prevention of cruelty to animals or other nonprofit organization or person devoted to the welfare, protection and humane treatment of animals.

(11) “Animal welfare agency” means a public or private agency, including an established humane society, organized primarily for the purpose of promoting animal welfare; accepting and/or housing unwanted, stray, or abandoned animals; promoting or conducting animal adoption; promoting or conducting spay/neuter; and/or other animal welfare activities. This definition does not include veterinary services.

(12) “Bite” means the act of the animal’s teeth seizing or penetrating human or animal skin or clothing.

(13) “Canine” means a Canis familiaris, bred in a great many varieties, and includes both male and female, and hereafter referred to as dog.

(14) “Commercial kennel or cattery” means:

(15) “Committed” means a notice of civil infraction was issued, and the infraction was not dismissed by the court, and the court entered a default judgment for the infraction or determined that the infraction was committed, regardless of the filing of any appeal by the violator, or the violator fails to respond to a notice of civil infraction.

(16) “Cruelty” means every act or failure to act which results in unnecessary physical pain or suffering to an animal.

(17) “Dangerous dog” means any dog that inflicts severe injury or death on a human being without provocation; or kills a domestic animal without provocation while the dog is off the owner’s property; or has been previously found to be potentially dangerous because of injury inflicted on a human, the owner having received notice of such and the dog again aggressively bites, attacks, or endangers the safety of humans.

(18) “Director” means the Sheriff of Clallam County or his/her designee.

(19) “Domestic animal” means those domestic animals such as any dog, cat, rabbit, bird, or other such animal normally kept as a pet.

(20) “Equestrian” means a person who is riding or leading any horse.

(21) “Euthanasia” means the humane destruction of an animal accomplished by a method that involves loss of consciousness and which is performed according to the current American Veterinary Medical Association guidelines.

(22) “Feline” means a Felis catus, bred in a great many varieties, and includes both male and female, and hereafter referred to as cat.

(23) “Feral” means any wild animal or any animal having escaped from domestication and becoming wild.

(24) “Harboring” means allowing any animal to remain, be lodged, fed, or sheltered on the property one owns, occupies or controls, for more than twenty-four (24) hours.

(25) “Harboring of an inherently dangerous mammal and/or inherently dangerous reptile” means to allow an inherently dangerous mammal or inherently dangerous reptile to remain, lodge, be fed, or to be given shelter or refuge within the person’s home, store, yard, enclosure, outbuilding, abandoned vehicle or building, place of business, or any other premises in which the person resides or over which the person has control.

(26) “Horse” means a domesticated equine, bred in a great many varieties, and includes other animals such as mules and jackasses.

(27) “Hours of darkness” means the hours from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise, and any other time when persons or objects may not be clearly discernible at a distance of 200 feet.

(28) “Humane trapping” means capturing any animal without causing intentional injury or death to the animal, and providing reasonable protection and care for the animal until it is delivered to a shelter or turned over to the Animal Control Officer or owner.

(29) “Infraction” means an offense that is not a crime and is subject to the provisions of this chapter.

(30) “Inherently dangerous mammal” means any live member of the Canidae, Felidae, or Ursidae families, including hybrids thereof, which, due to their inherent nature, may be considered dangerous to humans, and which includes:

(31) “Inherently dangerous reptile” means any live member of the class Reptilia which:

(32) “Lawful fence,” in addition to the description of lawful fence described in the Revised Code of Washington, shall mean any fence or physical barrier with the capability of safely holding/restraining the animal(s) being secured within.

(33) “Leash” means a chain, rope, leather strip, nylon strip, or other device no longer than twenty (20) feet that is in good condition and capable of holding/restraining the animal to which it is attached.

(34) “Leash control” means a dog is on a leash and under responsible human control.

(35) “Leash control area” means an area designated by the County Commissioners in which all dogs off the owners’ property must be leash controlled.

(36) “Livestock” means horses, mules, jackasses, cattle, sheep, llamas, alpacas, goats, swine, poultry and rabbits, or other domestic animals kept or raised for use or pleasure.

(37) “Microchip” means a commercially sold and nationally recognized and registered with Clallam County, small, magnetic device commonly inserted under the skin of an animal and which contains a magnetic or electronic animal identification number.

(38) “Neglect” means the act of leaving an animal without food, water, or care in a situation where the conditions present an immediate, direct, and serious threat to the life, safety, or health of the animal.

(39) “Notice of violation” means a verbal warning, or a written warning, or a civil notice of infraction.

(40) “Notification” means the service of a notice on the animal’s owner, any resident of the owner’s residence, or the mailing of the notice by certified and regular mail.

(41) “Owner” means any person, firm, corporation, organization, or department possessing, harboring, keeping, having an interest in, or having control or custody of an animal. “Owner” also means any person, firm, corporation, organization or department having interest in or having control or custody of property.

(42) “Potentially dangerous dog” means any dog, when unprovoked, inflicts a bite(s) on a human or domestic animal, either on public or private property; or chases or approaches a person upon the street, sidewalk, or any public grounds in a menacing fashion or apparent attitude of attack; or any dog with a known propensity, tendency, or disposition to attack unprovoked, to cause injury, or to otherwise threaten the safety of humans or domestic animals.

(43) “Poultry” means chickens, turkeys, ratites, and other domesticated fowl.

(44) “Premises” means any house, dwelling unit, or building and the curtelage surrounding it.

(45) “Private kennel or cattery” means any establishment, person, or business having more than ten (10) adult dogs, ten (10) adult cats, or a combination thereof, and producing no more than one litter of dogs or cats per year.

(46) “Proper enclosure of a dangerous dog” means while on the owner’s property a dangerous dog shall be securely confined indoors or in a securely enclosed and locked pen or structure, suitable to prevent the entry of young children and designed to prevent the animal from escaping. Such pen or structure shall have secure sides, a secure top, and an escape-proof floor and shall provide protection from the elements for the dog.

(47) “Public roadway” means that portion of a highway improved, designed, or ordinarily used for vehicular traffic.

(48) “Quarantine” means the placing and restraining of any animal by agents in charge thereof, within a certain described and designated enclosure or area within the County, as may be directed by the Animal Control Officer.

(49) “Rabies titer” means an antibody titer test substituted for rabies vaccination when a veterinarian has determined the animal experienced an allergic reaction to previous rabies vaccination, or that the vaccination would be inappropriate because of existing disease or potential for disease. The blood for this test shall be collected by a licensed veterinarian and processed by an accredited veterinary laboratory. The antibody titer level shall be adequate to indicate protection of the animal against rabies infection. This rabies titer test shall be valid for three (3) years from the day the blood was drawn.

(50) “Rabies vaccination certificate” means a rabies vaccination certificate issued by a licensed veterinarian. The certificate shall be signed by the veterinarian and shall indicate the expiration date of the vaccination, the type of vaccine used and an identifying description of the animal vaccinated.

(51) “Ratite” means ostrich, emu, rhea, or other flightless bird.

(52) “RCW” means Revised Code of Washington.

(53) “Responsive to voice control” means immediately responsive to the owner by voice or other signal.

(54) “Right-of-way” means the entire width between the boundary lines of every way publicly maintained when any part thereof is open to the use of the public for purposes of vehicular travel.

(55) “Running at large” means to be off the premises of the owner and not under the control of the owner or competent person authorized by the owner.

(56) “Running in packs” means a group of two (2) or more dogs running upon either public or private property not that of its owner in a state in which either its control or ownership is in doubt or cannot readily be ascertained, and when such dogs are not restrained or controlled.

(57) “Severe injury” means any physical injury that results in broken bones or disfiguring lacerations requiring multiple sutures or cosmetic surgery; or multiple bites to a human.

(58) “Shelter officer” means any individual employed by a shelter for the purpose of controlling and providing care for impounded and surrendered animals or destroying animals by euthanasia.

(59) “Under control” means the animal is under and immediately responsive to competent voice and/or signal control and/or leash control so as to be thereby restrained from approaching any other person, other animal, or entering upon the property of another and from causing or being the cause of physical injury or property damage; provided, that dogs under proper supervision used to lawfully hunt predatory animals or game birds; or dogs under proper supervision engaged in agricultural activities, or dogs used by law enforcement agencies; or any animal when otherwise safely and securely confined or completely controlled within or upon any vehicle are considered under control.

(60) “Vehicle” means every device, including bicycles, capable of being moved upon a public or private roadway and in, upon, or by which any person may be transported.

(61) “Working dog” means any dog which is trained to be used for the control, protection or herding of livestock for farming purposes and which is so engaged and behaving according to its training.

(62) “Zoonotic” means a disease communicable under natural conditions from animals to humans.