Prior to the adoption of Ord. 21015 on 07/05/2011, Section 5-5 read as follows.

(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 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 ~~of public health~~.

(3) Release of the animal to any responsible person ~~over seventeen (17)~~ eighteen (18) or older who expresses a desire for any given animal after payment of the prescribed impoundment fees and completion of the ~~licensing-vaccination procedure before~~ 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 ~~of public health~~, 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 ~~of public health~~ 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)

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.