(a) There is hereby created the position of animal control officer for the city and such officer shall be charged with the enforcement of this chapter. Any person employed by the city as an animal control officer and commissioned by the chief of police of the city shall have such powers and authority as allowed by law in the enforcement of this chapter. All animal control officers shall be subject to the supervision and direction of the chief of police of the city.
(b) Except as provided in subsection (c), it shall be the duty of the animal control officer to take up and impound all animals found in the city in violation of the provisions of this chapter.
(c) As an alternative to the provisions of subsection (b) of this section, any law enforcement officer or the animal control officer may issue a citation to the owner, harborer or keeper of an animal in violation of this chapter, and the person receiving the citation shall, within twenty (20) days, appear in the municipal court of the city to answer the charged violation of this chapter.
(Ord. 3276, Sec. 1; Code 2008; Ord. 3709; Code 2018)
When deemed necessary by law enforcement officers or the animal control officer for the health, safety and welfare of the residents of the city, such officers and/or their agents may:
(a) Place a humane trap on public or a requesting resident’s property for the purpose of capturing any animal defined in this chapter as creating a nuisance in the city;
(b) Use any tranquilizer guns, humane traps, or other suitable devices to subdue and capture any animal that is deemed by the animal control officer, in his or her discretion, to be of a danger to itself or to the public health and safety.
(c) Use firearms or other suitable weapons to destroy any rabid animal, any animal deemed a threat to public safety as defined in Section 2-404, or any animal creating a nuisance as defined in Section 2-115, where such animal is impossible or impractical to catch, capture or tranquilize.
(Ord. 3276, Sec. 1; Code 2008; Ord. 3709; Code 2018)
(a) The animal control officer or any law enforcement officer shall have the right of entry upon any private lots or lands for the purpose of collecting any animal whose presence thereupon is a violation of this chapter.
(b) It shall be unlawful for any person to interfere with the animal control officer in the exercise of his or her duties.
(Code 2008; Ord. 3709; Code 2018)
(Ord. 3393; Code 2008; Ord. 3709; Code 2018)
A municipal pound shall be established to carry out the provisions of this chapter. Such a pound may be operated by a contractor and all services required herein may be provided by a contractor. When so contracted, the pound shall have the following services and facilities as a minimum:
(a) Adequate pickup and impounding of all stray and ownerless dogs and cats and animals otherwise in violation of the provisions of this chapter.
(b) Group holding facilities for stray, ownerless and unvaccinated animals impounded for violation of the provisions of this chapter.
(c) Individual isolation facilities for sick, biting, rabid and suspected rabid animals.
(d) Facilities for the humane destruction of animals.
(Ord. 3276, Sec. 1; Code 2008; Ord. 3709; Code 2018)
(a) It shall be unlawful for any unauthorized person to open, unlock, break open or attempt to break open the pound, or to take or let out any animal placed therein, or take or attempt to take from an authorized officer of this city any animal taken up by him or her under the provisions of this chapter, or in any manner interfere with or hinder any authorized officer or employee of this city in catching, taking up, or impounding any animal.
(b) It shall be unlawful for any person or persons, other than those duly authorized, to care for, feed, attempt to feed, or interfere in any way with the care of impounded animals.
(Code 2008)
(Ord. 3276; Ord. 3393; Code 2008; Ord. 3709; Code 2018)
(Ord. 3276; Code 2008; Ord. 3709; Code 2018)
(a) The animal control officer or law enforcement officer shall impound any animal or fowl found at large in the city or constituting a nuisance or otherwise in violation of this chapter in a suitable pound or enclosure provided or contracted for by the city. The impounding officer shall make diligent inquiry as to the owner of the animal and shall notify the owner thereof of such impoundment as soon as reasonably possible.
(b) Any animal, licensed or unlicensed, as required in this article may be claimed by its owner upon payment to the City of a pickup fee and boarding fee, or any other costs associated with the impoundment of the animal.
(c) Fees.
(1) Boarding Fee: A fee for maintaining and caring for the animal shall be established in the City’s annual fee resolution.
(2) Pickup Fee: The fee for picking up, transporting or placing the animal in the municipal pound, regardless of the issuance of a citation, which shall be established in the City’s annual fee resolution.
(3) Vaccination Deposit: A deposit shall be established in the City’s annual fee resolution for rabies vaccination, redeemable when proof of vaccination is received from any veterinarian approved by the city. The deposit shall be forfeited if proof of vaccination is not received by the city’s administrative services department within five consecutive business days commencing the day following the making of the deposit. An absence of proof of vaccination shall be deemed evidence that no rabies vaccination has been obtained.
(d) The city shall attempt to recover all costs incurred in caring for any animal impounded or held pursuant to the provisions of this article, including but not limited to the cost for necessary veterinarian care. The fees shall be in addition to any fine impounded for violation of the provisions of this article.
(e) All animals impounded for reasons or suspected disease may be reclaimed by their owners upon evaluation, treatment and approval by a licensed veterinarian approved by the city.
(f) In case the identity of the owner of the impounded animal or fowl cannot be ascertained, the animal control officer or police officer shall, upon taking any such animal into custody and impounding the same, make a record thereof, with a description of the animal and the date and place taken into custody and the place of impounding and that unless the charges of impounding the same, together with any license fees due and unpaid, are paid within three business days from the date of the notice, that the animal will be disposed of as provided in this code..
(Ord. 3393, Ch. 5, Sec. 3; Code 2008; Ord. 3709; Code 2018)
At any time before the sale or destruction of any animal impounded under the provisions of this article, except for animals impounded as a dangerous, rabid, or for protection from cruelty under this chapter, the owner thereof may redeem the animal by paying the animal control officer or any person in charge, any established fees and all costs incurred as a result of such impoundment.
(Code 2008; Ord. 3709; Code 2018)
(Ord. 3362; Code 2008; Ord. 3709; Code 2018)
The city’s main concerns with respect to adoption of a cat or dog from the shelter are:
(a) That the dog or cat be in good health, that all dogs be immunized against rabies, licensed, not vicious by nature; and
(b) That the dog or cat will be provided of a good home under the control of a responsible person.
(Ord. 3362, Sec. 2; Ord. 3709; Code 2018)
(a) Qualifications for adoption:
(1) Good health.
(2) Not vicious.
(3) Immunized.
(4) Licensed (when place of residence is within the city).
(5) In the case of a licensed dog turned in at the shelter by the owner or record or his or her authorized representative, the owner or representative must give a release in writing for the animal’s disposal or adoption.
(6) In the case of a licensed dog picked up by the animal control officer as a stray or while running at large, or in response to a complaint, the dog will not be available for adoption (other qualifications being met) until the prescribed waiting period of seven (7) days has expired and the owner of record has failed to claim it; or the owner has given written consent to the adopter for its adoption; or the adopter (after the waiting period) certifies that his or her efforts to locate the owner were unsuccessful.
(7) In the case of an unlicensed dog picked up by the animal control officer as a stray or while running at large, or in response to a complaint, the dog will not be available for adoption (other qualifications being met) until the prescribed waiting period of three days has expired and the owner has failed to claim it.
(b) Fees associated with adoption: The adopter will be required to pay the following fees to a City employee at City Hall.
(1) A license fee equal to the amount described in Section 2-301. Such fee shall be collected even if the adopter is a nonresident.
(2) An adoption fee set annually by the governing body.
(Ord. 3362, Sec. 3; Ord. 3709; Code 2018)
(a) Qualifications for adoption:
(1) Good health.
(2) Not vicious.
(3) Immunized.
(4) Licensed.
(5) In the case of a cat turned in at the shelter by its owner or its authorized representative, the owner or representative must give a release in writing for the animal’s disposal or adoption.
(6) In the case of a cat suitable for adoption which is picked up by the animal control officer, or brought in by any other person not the owner, the cat will not be available for adoption until expiration of a waiting period of seven days, during which time its owner may claim it.
(b) Fees associated with adoption: The adopter will be required to pay the following fees to a City employee at City Hall.
(1) A license fee equal to the amount described in Section 2-301. Such fee shall be collected even if the adopter is a nonresident.
(2) An adoption fee set annually by the governing body.
(Ord. 3362, Sec. 4; Ord. 3709; Code 2018)
An animal considered by the animal control officer to be suitable for adoption may be held in the shelter for at least seven calendar days following the mandatory retention period if not claimed by the owner during the retention period. The animal control officer may hold the animal in the shelter beyond seven days if there is sufficient capacity and ability to do so.
(Ord. 3393, Ch. 6, Sec. 2; Ord. 3709; Code 2018)