Definitions.
Oklahoma City Municipal Code § 8-5
in effect§ 8-5. - Definitions.
(a) The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this Chapter, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:
(1) Abandonment of an animal means the act of forsaking the animal entirely or neglecting or refusing to provide or perform the legal obligations for care and support of the animal.
(2) Animal means any mammal, bird, fish, reptile, amphibian or invertebrate, including wild and domesticated species, other than a human being, and shall include "exotic wildlife," "domesticated fowl," "fowl" and "livestock," even though separately defined herein.
(3) Animal shelter means any nonprofit, private or publicly-owned and/or operated facility where stray or unwanted animals are held.
(4) At large means the status of any dog, livestock or domesticated fowl other than homing pigeons that is/are not confined to the property of the owner of the animal, or when the dog or livestock is not confined to the property of the owner and is not under the direct control of the owner or a person able to safely and humanely restrain the animal.
(5) Direct control means immediate continuous physical control of a dog at all times by means of a leash, cord, rope or chain of such strength to restrain the dog, and controlled by a person capable of restraining the dog, or safe and secure restraint within a vehicle. If the controlling person is at all times fully and clearly within unobstructed sight and hearing of the dog, voice control shall be considered direct control when the dog is actually participating in training or official showing, obedience, or field events. Direct control shall not be required of dogs actually participating in a legal sport in an authorized area or K-9 dogs.
(6) Domesticated fowl means domesticated chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, peacocks, homing pigeons and any other domesticated birds including ostriches, emus and rheas.
(7) Feral animal means any wild cat or dog, whether the animal was born in the wild or has reverted to a wild state due to abandonment or lack of domestication.
(8) Exotic wildlife shall mean those animals defined and regulated in Chapter 35, Article VIII of this Code.
(9) Fowl means a bird of any kind, excluding "domesticated fowl."
(10) Health Department means the Oklahoma City-County Health Department.
(11) Impoundment means the taking up and confining of an animal by the Superintendent or designee in a manner consistent with professionally recognized standards of humane treatment.
(12) K-9 means a dog specifically trained and being used by a public law enforcement agency.
(13) Kennel means any place other than a federal, state or municipal facility, veterinary hospital or medical research institute, where more than four dogs and/or more than four cats beyond the age of six months are kept, harbored, boarded, sheltered or bred.
(14) Kitten means a cat under the age of six months.
(15) Livestock means any burros, cattle, horses, sheep, goats, llamas, donkeys, mules, and swine.
(16) Municipal Court and Municipal Judge mean the Municipal Court of The City of Oklahoma City and any duly appointed judge or special judge thereof.
(17) Non-human primate shall mean any animal that is a member of the order of Primata, except human beings.
(18) Non-human primate breeder shall mean any person licensed and regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as a breeder of non-human primates.
(19) Owner means any person, firm, business, organization, or corporation owning, possessing, harboring, or keeping any animal, or having an interest in or control of an animal, or in the case of a person under 18 years of age, that person's parent or legal guardian. This definition shall not apply to any animal shelter, veterinary clinic or kennel that is boarding animals belonging to another.
(20) Person in lawful presence on owner's property means a person who is on the property of the owner of the animal in the performance of any duty imposed upon him by the laws of this State, or by the laws of the United States, or by local ordinance, or by the postal regulations of the United States, or when reading meters, or making repairs to any public utility or service located on said property, or when responding to a public emergency, or when working on said property at the request of the owner or of a tenant having a lease upon any portion of said property, or when on such property upon the invitation, either expressed or implied, of the owner or lessee of such property.
(21) Pet placement partner means a municipal animal shelter, or an animal welfare organization, or approved breed rescue group or other facility which receives animals from the division for the purpose of re-homing them and which has:
(a) provided the Animal Welfare Division with a copy of the certificate of incorporation, if it is a non-profit animal welfare organization or rescue group, and a list of individuals who are authorized to sign for receipt of animals from the division.
(b) entered into an agreement with the City for receipt of the animals, which agreement requires, among other things, that animals received from the division be vaccinated against rabies and be spayed or neutered, and that proof of the same be provided to the division in accordance with the division's policies.
(c) agreed that no animal held by the Pet Placement Partner shall be re-homed without having first been surgically spayed or neutered, regardless of the source of that animal.
(22) Primary enclosure means an enclosed area in which an animal normally rests or sleeps and which allows the animal to move and exercise freely.
(23) Proof of ownership means a bill of sale or other evidence acceptable to the Superintendent which shows ownership. Animals without a bill of sale or identifiable marking (tattoo, microchip, brand, etc.) shall be released only after the Superintendent or his/her designee is satisfied the person is the rightful owner of the animal.
(24) Puppy means a dog under the age of six months.
(25) Rabies exposure means any and all forms of exposure or suspected exposure to rabies virus or resulting from a bite; or contact with saliva, or neurological tissue and fluids of infected animals; or animals suspected of such rabies infection; or exposure to rabies virus resulting from a scratch, other than a scratch from the claws of a dog.
(26) Run means a large, enclosed area designed to allow an animal to move about and exercise freely.
(27) Secondary enclosure means the room or structure that houses or contains the primary enclosure.
(28) Spayed or neutered means rendered permanently incapable of reproduction or permanently incapable of reproduction because of physiological sterility, but only where the neutered condition has been certified by a veterinarian licensed in any state.
(29) Superintendent means the Superintendent of Animal Welfare of the City and his or her designees.
(30) Tagged animal means any animal whose owner is able to be identified by visible marking on the animal, such as a metal tag, or by a tattoo or by a scannable microchip or by a brand.
(31) Unknown owner means a person whose ownership of an animal cannot be determined because the animal is found at large and is not a tagged animal.
(32) Veterinarian means a person who is currently licensed to engage in the practice of veterinary medicine in the State of Oklahoma.
(33) Veterinary hospital or clinic means any place or facility owned or operated by a licensed veterinarian and used for the practice of veterinary medicine in the diagnosis, treatment, and care of diseases of and injuries to animals, or used for the boarding of animals during the diagnosis, treatment or care, or used for the temporary boarding of animals belonging to the veterinarian's clients.
(b) All references to "Division," "Animal Welfare Division," "City Animal Shelter" or "Animal Welfare Division Superintendent," and all references to "Animal Welfare Supervisor or Officer," shall mean and refer to the respectively designated division, shelter, Superintendent, supervisor, officer or person of and within the Animal Welfare Division of the City.
(Ord. No. 23145, § 2, 10-3-06 ; Ord. No. 26483, § 1, 6-16-20)
Source: City of Oklahoma City, Municipal Code and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/ok/oklahoma_city/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=OKMUCO2020_CH8AN_ARTIINGE_DIV2DE_S8-5DEFetched: 10/28/2026