§ 8-72. Keeping wild or dangerous animals prohibited.

(a)

It shall be unlawful for any person to own, possess, keep, maintain, feed, harbor, transport or sell within the city any living wild or dangerous animal; provided, however, that the following organizations or entities shall be exempt from this section:

(1)

The Denver Zoological Gardens;

(2)

Any circus, rodeo or livestock show licensed by the city;

(3)

Any research institute approved by the executive director to own or keep wild or dangerous animals; and

(4)

Any wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the Colorado Division of Wildlife who temporarily keeps raptors or wild animals within the city, when the purpose is to return the birds or animals to the wild.

(b)

Wild or dangerous animal, for the purposes of this section, shall mean and include any and all species of the following:

(1)

Poisonous reptiles;

(2)

Monitor lizards and teglis;

(3)

Nonpoisonous snakes with a length greater than six (6) feet;

(4)

Crocodilians;

(5)

Poisonous spiders;

(6)

Scorpions;

(7)

All species of nonhuman mammals except:

a.

Domestic cat (Felis catus), however, this exception shall not apply to any animal that is the offspring (hybrid cross) of a domestic cat and any other species of cat unless the non-domestic cat ancestor was of the Bengal cat (Felis bengalensis) species and that all ancestors of the cat have lived in captivity for at least the preceding five (5) generations (F4);

b.

Chinchilla (Chinchilla laniger);

c.

Domestic dog (Canis familiaris), except that dogs trained for fighting shall be prohibited;

d.

Domestic ferret (Mustela putoris furo);

e.

Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguicularus);

f.

Guinea pig (Cavia porcellus);

g.

Hamster (Mesocricetus auratus);

h.

Domestic laboratory mouse (Mus domesticus);

i.

Domestic rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus);

j.

Domestic laboratory rat (Rattus rattus albino strain);

k.

Domestic species of livestock as listed in section 8-91; and

l.

Central African hedgehogs (Atelerix albiventris), Algerian hedgehogs (Atelerix algirus), and sugar gliders (Petaurus breviceps).

(c)

Wild or dangerous animal shall not include the domestic honey bee (apis mellifera).

(d)

This section shall not be construed to prohibit a person from providing food and water for birds.

(Ord. No. 672-18, § 1, 7-16-18)