§ 6-53. Civil penalty and costs.

(a)

A person who violates the requirement for a certificate of registration for ownership of a dangerous, wild animal is liable for a civil penalty of not less than two hundred dollars ($200.00) and not more than two thousand dollars ($2,000.00) for each animal with respect to which there is a violation and for each day the violation continues.

(b)

The city may sue to collect a civil penalty and retain the civil penalty collected.

(c)

The city may also recover the reasonable costs of investigation, reasonable attorney's fees, and reasonable expert witness fees incurred by the city in the civil action. Costs or fees recovered under this subsection shall be credited to the operating account from which payment for the city's expenditures was made.

(Ord. No. 8597, § 1, 1-26-06)

State law reference

Dangerous wild animal civil penalties, V.T.C.A., Health and Safety Code § 822.114; dangerous wild animals, V.T.C.A. Health and Safety Code § 822.101 et seq.; local regulation of dangerous wild animals, V.T.C.A., Health and Safety Code § 822.116; penalties for ordinance violations, V.T.C.A., Local Government Code § 54.001.