[Adopted 8-6-2002 by Ord. No. 7-02 as
§§ 12.07 and 12.20 of the 2002 Code]
Every person residing in the City who owns a
dog which is more than five months of age on January 1 of any year
shall annually, at the time and in the manner prescribed by law for
the payment of personal property taxes, obtain a license therefor.
No license shall be issued for any dog over the age of five months
unless the applicant for such license presents proof that the dog
has been inoculated for rabies within a year prior to application
or has been inoculated with a rabies vaccine effective for a longer
period.
[Amended 12-2-2003 by Ord. No. 15-03; 6-18-2019 by Ord. No. 2-19]
The license fee for all dogs shall be as set by the Common Council or 1/2 of that amount if the dog became five months of age after July 1 of the license year. The license fee for any dog licensed after April 1, or after 30 days of acquiring ownership of a licensable dog, or if the owner fails to obtain a license before the dog reaches licensable age, shall be increased by $10. Service animals (as that term is defined in Article V) are exempt from any fee otherwise imposed herein.
Upon payment to the City Clerk/Treasurer of the above fee, and upon presentation of proof of rabies inoculation, the Clerk/Treasurer shall issue a license to keep such dog for one year. The owner of every dog shall display the license required by § 113-1 on the collar or in some other manner on such animal.
Chapter 174, Wis. Stats., pertaining to licensing
of dogs, is made a part of this article by reference.
No unlicensed dog shall run at large, and any
person may seize or impound any unlicensed dog found at large, The
fact that a dog is without a proper license tag attached to its collar
shall be presumptive evidence that it is unlicensed. Any police officer
may enter upon the premises of the owner or keeper of any unlicensed
dog to seize it, and if after request therefor the owner, keeper,
or an immediate member of the owner's or keeper's family of suitable
age and discretion shall refuse to deliver the unlicensed dog to the
officer and the officer cannot with reasonable effort catch the unlicensed
dog, he may kill it.
A.
No person shall own, harbor or keep any dog which:
(1)
Habitually pursues any vehicle upon any public street,
alley or highway.
(2)
Assaults or attacks any person.
(3)
Runs at large within the City. A dog shall be deemed
to be running at large when it is on any of the public streets, alleys,
parks or other public grounds of the City, or any other premises in
the City other than the premises of its owner, unless within the immediate
presence and control of the owner, his servant, agent, or a member
of his family of suitable age and discretion.
(4)
Habitually barks or howls to the annoyance of any
two or more persons.
(5)
Is over the age of five months and has not been inoculated
against rabies by a licensed veterinarian within the preceding year
or has not been inoculated against rabies with a vaccine effective
for a longer period.
A.
Any police officer or the Health Officer may impound
any dog which he believes, from appearance or conduct of such dog,
to be infected rabies. Where it is impossible or dangerous to seize
the dog, any police officer or the Health Officer may kill the dog.
B.
Any person who suspects that any dog is infected with
rabies shall report his suspicion to the police or health authorities,
describing the dog and giving the name of the owner, if known. Any
such dog shall, upon demand of the police officer or Health Officer,
be delivered to such office for delivery to the Jefferson County Humane
Society. If upon examination the dog proves in fact to be infected
with rabies, the dog may be killed by the Humane Society.
C.
No person shall knowingly harbor or keep any dog infected
with rabies or any dog known to have been bitten by a dog known to
have been infected with rabies or shall fail to report to the police
or health authorities the existence of a dog which he knows to be
infected with rabies.
During the time this City or any part thereof
shall be quarantined for rabies, all dogs within the district so quarantined
shall be kept securely confined or tied or leashed or muzzled. Any
dog not so kept is declared to be a public nuisance and shall be impounded
by any police officer or other person. Upon the impounding of such
dog, notice thereof shall be given to the owner, and if the owner
of the dog does not take possession of the dog, then such dog may
be killed.
Every owner or keeper of a dog and every other
person who knows that a dog has bitten any person shall immediately
in writing report such fact to a police officer or the Health Officer,
and the owner or keeper shall immediately confine the dog for at least
14 days thereafter and shall not release the dog except with the written
approval of the Health Officer. Such dog shall be surrendered to the
police or to the Health Officer upon demand.
A.
No person shall remove any dog impounded at the Humane
Society without first having paid the City Administrator the sum as
adopted by the Common Council as part of the Small Animal Collection
Contract and having a receipt of such fee. Each subsequent offense
shall require the sum as adopted by the Common Council and require
a receipt stating payment of said fee.[1]
B.
No person shall remove any dog impounded at the Humane
Society without identifying the animal and paying the fees assessed
to the owner by the City.
