Chapter 5 ANIMALS AND FOWL*
Section 5-5 Redemption; microchipping; neutering; payment of fees; disposition of unredeemed animals.
(a)
The owner of any animal impounded for running at large that is not a dangerous exotic
animal or a dangerous or aggressive animal may redeem the animal upon proof of ownership
satisfactory to the animal control officer and upon paying a boarding fee of fifteen dollars
($15.00) for each day or part of day the animal has been impounded and an impoundment fee of
twenty-five dollars ($25.00) for each impoundment.
If the animal is a domestic dog or cat that
has not been implanted with a readable identifying microchip, the animal shall be implanted with
an identifying microchip before being released. The owner shall pay a microchip implantation
fee of ten dollars ($10.00) plus the cost of the microchip before the dog or cat is released. If
the
animal has previously been implanted with a microchip, the owner shall notify the department
and any applicable national registry of any change in address or telephone number. Intact dogs
and cats impounded for the third time shall be spayed or neutered before being released, with the
following exceptions:
(1) Dogs being used by law enforcement
agencies for law enforcement activities or such
dogs designated as breeding stock by an appropriate agency or organization approved by the
director,
(2) Dogs that have been appropriately
trained and are being used as service dogs such as a
guide dog, hearing dog, assistance dog, seizure alert dog or social/therapy dog or such dogs
designated as breeding stock by an appropriate agency or organization approved by the director,
(3) Dogs that have been appropriately
trained and are being used by search and rescue
agencies for search and rescue activities or such dogs designated as breeding stock by an
appropriate agency or organization approved by the director,
(4) Dogs or cats certified by a licensed
veterinarian as having a health reason for not being
spayed or neutered,
(5) Dogs that have been appropriately
trained and are being used for herding of other
animals or as livestock guardian dogs, or such dogs designated as breeding stock by an
appropriate agency or organization approved by the director,
(6) Dogs or cats boarded in a licensed
kennel or licensed business which boards such
animals for professional training or resale,
The owner shall pay a spay or neuter fee of seventy-five dollars ($75.00) before the
dog or cat is
released.
(b) In addition to paying the fees prescribed
in subsection (a), if the animal is a domestic
dog or cat, the owner may redeem
the
animal
only
upon proof satisfactory to the
animal control
officer that the
animal
has been vaccinated for rabies by a licensed veterinarian with a vaccine
that
will be effective during the full term for which the animal license is issued. If
the
owner
cannot present satisfactory proof that
the animal was vaccinated,
the animal control officer shall
not release the animal unless the officer is satisfied that the animal will be properly vaccinated
.
(c) Subject to the provisions of article
VII, at
the end of five (5) days, except as otherwise
herein provided, if an animal impounded for running at large that is not a dangerous exotic
animal or a dangerous or aggressive animal has not been redeemed, the animal control officer
may dispose of the animal in any one (1) of the following ways:
(1) Release of
the animal to the local humane society at no charge.
(2)
Humane destruction of the animal in a manner approved by the director.
(3)
Release of the animal to any responsible person
eighteen (18) or older
who expresses a
desire for any given animal after payment of the prescribed impoundment fees and completion of
the release
procedures
.
(4)
Release of the animal to an accredited school, college or university within the state
which has a recognized research program and whose methods of animal care and use are
approved by the director, upon payment of outstanding fees.
(d) All fees collected by the animal
control officer shall be paid over to the director of
finance.
(e) The director may waive all or a portion of the boarding fee and impoundment
fee if the
director determines that the animal is not vicious and that the owner of the animal is unable to
pay the fees.
(Code 1964, § 5.060; Ord. No. 11910, § 1, 6-6-88; Ord. No. 16591, § 1, 9-18-00; Ord.
No. 18576,
§ 1, 7-5-05; Ord. No. 20044, § 1, 9-15-08; Ord. No. 21015, § 1, 7-5-11)
Editor's note - Ord. No. 20044, § 1, adopted September 15, 2008, which amended section 5-5
above, shall be in full force and effect from and after October 1, 2008.
(Ord. 21015, Amended, 07/05/2011, Prior Text; Ord. 20044, Amended, 09/15/2008, Prior Text; Ord. 18576, Amended, 07/05/2005, Prior Text; Ord. 16591, Amended, 09/18/2000, Prior Text)