[Ord. of 7-11-1968, § 3;
Ord. of 9-21-1983, § 1]
The owner of a dog shall keep his dog under restraint at all
times and shall not permit such dog to be at large, off the premises
or property of the owner, unless under restraint and properly collared.
Any bite inflicted by any such dog at large or not restrained, as
required by this section shall, in addition to any violation for dogs
at large or unrestrained dogs, constitute a violation of this division
by the owner of such dog.
[Ord. of 7-11-1968, § 18(d);
Ord. of 9-21-1983, § 1]
All complaints made under the provisions of this division shall
be made orally to the animal control officer or any police officer.
However, such complaint shall within 48 hours, be reduced to writing
on forms provided by the police department and shall be signed by
the complainant showing his address and telephone number, if any.
[Ord. of 7-11-1968, § 4(a) —
(d)]
(a)
Any dog found running at large not under restraint or uncollared
shall be taken up by the animal control officer and impounded in the
dog pound. The dog shall be confined in a humane manner for a period
of not less than five days and may thereafter be disposed of in a
humane manner if not claimed by its owner. A dog not claimed by its
owner before the expiration of five days may be disposed of at the
discretion of the animal control officer, except as provided in this
section for certain dogs.
(b)
The animal control officer may transfer title to any dog held at
the dog pound to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
after the legal detention period has expired and such dog has not
been claimed by its owner.
(c)
When a dog is found running at large and its ownership is known to
the animal control officer, such dog need not be impounded, but such
officer may cite the owner of such dog to appear in court to answer
to charges of violation of this division.
(d)
Immediately upon impounding a dog, the animal control officer shall
make every reasonable effort to notify the owner of such dog so impounded
and inform such owner of the conditions whereby he may regain custody
of such dog.
[Ord. of 7-11-1968, § 5(a),
(c)]
(a)
The owner of a dog shall be entitled to regain possession of his impounded dog, except as provided in this section, upon the payment of impoundment fees set forth in § 4-70. Proof of ownership might include a license receipt, affidavits of neighbors, a photograph, etc.
(b)
Any dog or other animal impounded under the provisions of this division and not reclaimed by its owner within five days may be humanely destroyed by the animal control officer, may have its title transferred to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals as provided in § 4-68(b) or may be placed in the custody of some person deemed to be a responsible and suitable owner who will agree to comply with the provisions of this division and such other regulations as shall be fixed by the Town. However, if the animal is one as to which the respective rights of the owner and the person in possession or custody are determined by state law, such law shall be complied with.
[Ord. of 7-11-1968, § 6;
Ord. of 3-19-1980(1); Ord. of 7-18-1984, § 1]
The owner or keeper of any dog impounded under this division
shall not take such dog out of the pound until he shall have first
paid to the poundkeeper the expense of keeping such dog, such expense,
per day, in an amount established from time to time by the Town Council
and on file in the office of the Town Clerk for receiving such dog
into the pound. Impoundment fees set forth in this section shall be
collected for the Town and such additional sums as provided in this
section for keeping animals shall be collected by the animal control
officer.
[Ord. of 7-11-1968, § 21;
Ord. of 9-21-1983, § 1]
(a)
It shall be the duty of the animal control officer to keep or cause
to be kept accurate and detailed records of the impoundment and disposition
of all animals coming into his custody.
(b)
It shall be the duty of the animal control officer to keep or cause
to be kept accurate and detailed records of all bite cases and other
violations of this division, reduced to writing, reported to him and
his investigation of the bite cases.
(c)
It shall be the duty of the animal control officer to keep or cause
to be kept accurate and detailed records of all monies belonging to
the Town, which records shall be open to inspection at reasonable
times by such persons responsible for similar records of the Town
and shall be audited by the Town annually in the same manner as other
Town records are audited.
[Ord. of 7-11-1968, § 19]
In the discharge of the duties imposed by this division, the
animal control officer or any regular police officer shall have the
authority at all reasonable times to enter upon any premises (but
such authority should not include the right to enter any residence
on such premises) to examine a dog or other animal which is allegedly
in violation of a provision of this division. Such officer shall have
the further authority to take possession of any such dog or other
animal and remove it from such premises.
[Ord. of 7-11-1968, § 18(a),
(b)]
[Ord. of 7-11-1968, § 22;
Ord. of 3-19-1980(1); Ord. of 7-18-1984, § 1; Ord. No. 98-7, § 2, 3-18-1998]
Except as otherwise provided in this division, any person convicted
of violating any provision of this division may be punished by the
payment of a fine not exceeding $20 for the first offense, not exceeding
$30 for the second offense within a year and not exceeding $50 for
the third and any subsequent offense within a year, to be recovered
by action of debt or by complaint and warrant. However, any person
cited for any violation of this division may be issued a citation
in such form as the Chief of Police shall authorize, and the payment
of the fine for the violation may be paid by mail. Should the required
fine not be received by the police department within 30 days of the
date of issuance or should the person so cited return the citation
indicating a not guilty plea to any such charge, a summons shall issue
to the person so cited requiring an appearance in the sixth division
court of the state or the Town municipal court to answer the charge.
[Ord. No. 98-7, § 3, 3-18-1998]
The owner or keeper of a dog, cat or other domestic animal who
shall move from his or her place of residence and leave behind such
dog, cat or other domestic animal, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor
and fined in accordance with the penalties provided in Ordinance No.
98-7.
[Ord. No. 98-7, § 3, 3-18-1998]
It shall be unlawful for the owner or keeper of any dog, cat
or other domestic animal to abandon said animal or animals from a
motor vehicles.
[Ord. No. 98-7, § 3, 3-18-1998]
Whoever shall abandon, either from a motor vehicle, or by leaving
behind at a place of residence, or shall willfully fail to provide
any animal or animals with proper food, drink, shelter or protection
from the weather, for every such offense, be fined the amount of $50
for each individual animal so described.
[Ord. No. 98-7, § 3, 3-18-1998]
It shall be unlawful for any person to cause or permit a dog
to be on property, public or private, not owned or possessed by such
person, unless such person has in his or her immediate possession
an appropriate device for removing and transporting any excrement
left by said dog, to a receptacle located upon the property owned
or possessed by such person or to allow such dog to defecate on any
property, public or private, without using such aforementioned device
to remove the excrement. Failure to remove such excrement shall be
punishable by a fine of $20 for the first offense and $50 for each
subsequent offense.
[Ord. No. 98-7, § 3, 3-18-1998]
It shall be unlawful for any person to transport any animal
either for business or pleasure in or on a motor vehicle unless the
animal being so transported is kept in an enclosed area of said motor
vehicle, or said animal or animals are under the physical control
of a person other than the operator of said motor vehicle, or that
said animal or animals are placed in said motor vehicle and safely
restrained by a harness manufactured for the purpose of restraining
animals by means other than neck restraints.
Any person violation the provisions of Ordinance No. 98-7 shall
be punished by a fine of not more than $50 for a first offense, nor
more than $200 for each subsequent offense.
