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To amend City Code § 4-306, concerning unsupervised cats, for the purpose of increasing the minimum age for sterilization of unsupervised cats from four months to six months and to provide that infractions of such section shall be punishable as a Class 4 misdemeanor rather than by a civil penalty.
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THE CITY OF RICHMOND HEREBY ORDAINS:
§ 1. That section 4-306 of the Code of the City of Richmond (2020) be and hereby is amended as follows:
Sec. 4-306. Unsupervised cats.
(a) No person who owns a cat over the age of [four] six months shall cause, permit, or allow such animal to be in a public place unsupervised, unless the cat is sterilized. The term “public place” shall include, but not be limited to, streets, highways, alleys, sidewalks, parks, carnivals, shopping malls, flea markets, and areas in front of commercial establishments. This requirement applies to all cats that are not sterilized, whether or not the cat's owner has obtained a breeding permit pursuant to Section 4-307.
(b) The failure to comply with any of the requirements mentioned in subsection (a) of this section is an infraction punishable [by] as a [civil penalty of $50.00 for the first occurrence, $75.00 for the second occurrence and $100.00 for each subsequent occurrence] Class 4 misdemeanor.
§ 2. This ordinance shall be in force and effect upon adoption.