•  Animal bites
•  Animal cruelty
•  Cat ownership
•  Dog licenses
•  Dog obedience classes
•  Dog owner responsibilities
•  Dogs - nuisances
•  Dogs in parks
•  Off-leash dog parks
•  Wild animals as pets

Animal bites
If your cat or dog bites someone, identify yourself and tell the victim whether your pet's rabies vaccination is current. The city requires that your pet be quarantined - usually inside your home for 10 days. After 10 days, a city staff member will contact you to confirm if your pet is still in good health.

Rather than quarantining the animal, the pet owner may choose to release the animal to a veterinarian who will euthanize it. The veterinarian will arrange to have the University of Minnesota examine the animal for evidence of rabies. There is no charge for the rabies exam; however, the owner is responsible for all euthanization costs.

Be sure to report any animal bite: call the St. Louis Park public safety dispatcher at (952) 924-2618.

Animal cruelty
Minnesota law allows police officers to take an animal to a shelter if the animal

• is not protected from heat, cold or inclement weather
• has not been given food or water.

If an animal is left in a hot car and its health or safety is endangered, officers are empowered to use reasonable force to enter the vehicle and remove the animal.

Engaging in dog fighting or pitting animals against one another is illegal.

Cat ownership
City ordinance prohibits owners from allowing their cat to

• Run at large
• Destroy, damage or defile property
• Molest animals or people
• Cause noise, odor or other problems.

Cats that are running at large may be picked up and impounded. The owner of an impounded cat is required to pay all impounding and boarding charges in order to have the animal released. Cats not claimed within five days of impounding may be turned over to the Humane Society, adopted through a veterinarian boarding facility, or disposed of according to Minnesota law.

For more information, call the animal control officer (952) 924-2133

Dog licenses
City ordinance requires that all dogs over 16 weeks have a dog license and rabies vaccinated. Dog license expiration dates match the duration of your dog's rabies vaccination.

• One year license: $20
• Two year license:$30
• Three year license: $40

You can obtain a dog license at city hall when you provide proof of rabies vaccination and pay the license fee. To print out a dog license application form, click on Forms. For more information, call (952) 924-2588.

Owners of service dogs that help people with disabilities do not have to pay the licensing fee. To qualify for the fee exemption, the owner must present the dog's certificate of assistance training from a recognized program or school. The owner must also complete the dog license application and vaccinate the dog against rabies.

Dogs are required to wear their license tags when outdoors. If an unlicensed dog is impounded by the city, the owner must buy a dog license and pay a "no license" penalty. Dog owners must also pay all impounding and boarding fees.

Impounded unlicensed dogs that are not claimed within five business days may be disposed of according to Minnesota law or be placed for adoption.

Dog obedience classes
Dog obedience classes are offered by some pet supply stores and Minneapolis Community Education.For information about community education classes, call (612) 668-3939

Dog owner responsibilities
City ordinance requires that

• Dogs be on a leash that is no more than six feet long when they are being walked. (A small dog may be held by its owner.)
• Owners pick up their dog's excrement when walking their pet. Feces must be disposed of on the dog owner's property.
• Dogs must be confined inside the owner's yard by a fence or leash. Dogs are not allowed to run at large.
• Frequent loud barking, howling or yelping is prohibited.
• No household may keep more than three dogs over the age of three months.

If your dog is lost, call the public safety dispatcher at (952) 924-2618. If your dog is found, they will be able to identify and return your dog if it has a license on its collar. You may also wish to call the Animal Humane Society's "Lost and Found" line at (763) 489-2204.

Dogs - nuisances
Dogs may be declared a public nuisance and destroyed if a sworn complaint to a Hennepin County court judge indicates that the dog

• has attacked or bitten a person outside the owner's or custodian's premises
• is deemed to be potentially dangerous (bites, attacks or injures people or domestic animals in unprovoked situations or has a known tendency or disposition to attack in unprovoked situations)
• has destroyed property or habitually trespasses in a damaging manner
• is running at large or violating quarantine.

Dogs in parks
Dogs are allowed in all city parks except -

• Westwood Hills Nature Center.
• The Rec Center.

Dogs may not be in these portions of all other city parks

• Playground structure areas
• Athletic fields
• Picnic shelters
• Park buildings
• Oak Hill Park wading pool
• Lakes, ponds and streams.
• EXCEPT: Seeing-eye dogs, other disability assisting creatures and police dogs are allowed in any area where they are needed.

Rules for dogs in parks

• Dogs must have a dog license
• Dogs must be on a leash that is no longer than 6 ft. (unless in a specified off-leash dog park)
• Dogs must be under the owner's control at all times
• Owners must pick up and dispose of dog excrement in waste receptacles

Off-leash dog parks
St. Louis Park's off-leash dog park is located along the southeast edge of Dakota Park, 27th and Dakota Avenue.

To use the dog park, visitors must first purchase a dog park permit that is good through the end of this year. To purchase a permit, you can print off the form from this web site (Off-leash Dog Park Permit ). Or, you can visit the Inspections Counter in City Hall, 5005 Minnetonka Boulevard, between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

To avoid disturbing the neighbors, daily hours for the dog parks are

• 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
• $25 per permit (resident) / $50 (non-resident)

Wild animals as pets
City ordinance prohibits residents from keeping any animal prohibited by state or federal law as well as nondomesticated animals such as skunks, bobcats, wolves, venomous snakes, etc. For more information, call the animal control officer (952) 924-2133.

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