§ 12:610. Animals prohibited at festivals.

(a)

Except as hereinafter provided for, it shall be unlawful for any person to bring any domestic or exotic animal, including Canis familiaris (dogs), into the festival area set forth below during any festival as defined below.

(b)

Festival area is hereby defined as that area bounded by the water of the Mississippi River on the west, the north side of Convention Street on the north, 9th Street on the east, and the south side of Government Street on the south for the entire duration of any festival held within that area or within any part or parts of that area in the city, in order to provide for public health and safety.

(c)

For the purposes of this chapter, the term "festivals" shall include but not be limited to the River City Blues Festival, the arts and crafts festivals, the Fourth of July celebration, Earth Day, Christmas parades, Mardi Gras parades, and inaugural celebrations. The term "festivals" shall also include any other event within the area as may be designated by the metropolitan council or for which a waiver of the public drinking ordinances may be passed by the council.

(d)

In the further interest of public health and safety, animals as set forth in subsection (a) above are prohibited within the right-of-way or on any public sidewalk or servitude adjacent to any parade route as may be established under the authority of the chief of police for the city.

(e)

This chapter shall not prohibit the bringing of any assistance animal into the festival area. "Assistance animal" is hereby defined to mean any animal such as a dog ( Canis familiaris) or a member of the primate family which is trained by a recognized training facility to assist a handicapped person to perform tasks that she or he may not otherwise be able to perform, including but not limited to dogs which assist the visually impaired.

(f)

This chapter shall not prohibit the bringing of any animal into the festival area that is to be exhibited in a show or other exhibition which is sponsored by those agencies which sponsor those events described in paragraph (c), provided that the animal is at all times confined to the immediate exhibition site and not present on other festival areas, unless such areas are specifically intended to be open to animals due to the nature of the event. All animals under this paragraph shall meet all federal, state and local guidelines.

(Ord. No. 9283, § 1, 5-8-91; Ord. No. 11651, § 1, 2-9-00)