[Rev. Ords. 1953, Ch. 24, § 13; Ord. of 9-12-1966]
(a)
Upon positive diagnosis of rabies in any animal within the City,
the chairman of the Council shall proclaim and invoke a City-wide
quarantine for a period of 30 days, and upon the invoking of such
quarantine, no animal shall be taken into the streets, or be permitted
to be in the streets, during such period of quarantine.
(b)
During such period of rabies quarantine as herein described, every
animal bitten by an animal adjudged to be rabid shall be forthwith
destroyed or, at the owner's expense and option, shall be treated
for rabies infection by a licensed veterinarian, or held 30 days under
quarantine by the owner in the same manner as other animals are quarantined.
(c)
In the event there are additional positive cases of rabies occurring
during the period of quarantine, such period of quarantine may be
extended by the chairman of the Council for an additional six months.
(d)
The carcass of any dead animal exposed to rabies shall upon demand
be surrendered to the director of public health.
(e)
The director of public health shall direct the disposition of any
animal found to be infected with rabies.
(f)
No person shall fail or refuse to surrender any animal for quarantine
or destruction as required herein when demand is made therefor by
the director of public health.
[Rev. Ords. 1953, Ch. 24, §§ 1, 11; Ord. of 9-12-1966; Ord. of 4-16-1973]
Unless the context otherwise indicates, the following definitions
shall apply in the interpretation and the enforcement of this article.
Off the premises of the owner and not under the control of
any person by means of personal presence and attention as will reasonably
control the conduct of such dog.
A dog which shall cause reasonable fear of bodily injury
to any person by attacking or threatening to attack such person.
Both male and female.
Any person owning, keeping or harboring a dog.
[Rev. Ords. 1953, Ch. 9, § 103]
[Rev. Ords. 1953, Ch. 24, § 2; Ord. of 9-12-1966; Ord. of 9-25-1972]
(a)
On or before the first day of January of each year, the owner or
keeper of any dog six months old or over shall apply to the City Clerk
either orally or in writing for a license for each such dog owned
or kept by him.
(b)
The application for such license shall state the breed, sex, color
and markings of such dog and the name and address of the last previous
owner.
[Rev. Ords. 1953, Ch. 24, § 2; Ord. of 9-12-1966; Ord. of 9-25-1972]
Any person becoming the owner or keeper of a dog after the first
day of January, not duly licensed as required by this article, shall,
within 10 days after he becomes the owner or keeper of such dog, cause
the dog to be described and licensed as required by this article.
[Ord. of 9-25-1972]
No City or town clerk shall issue a license for any dog until
the applicant has filed with such clerk proof that such dog has been
immunized against rabies in accordance with rules and regulations
promulgated by the commissioner of health and welfare, provided that
the requirement of immunization may be waived by such clerk under
conditions set forth by the commissioner of health and welfare.
[Rev. Ords. 1953, Ch. 24, § 2; Ord. of 9-12-1966; Ord. of 9-25-1972; Ord. of 3-3-1980]
License fees shall be as provided by state law.
[Rev. Ords. 1953, Ch. 24, § 3; Ord. of 9-12-1966]
Licenses issued in accordance with this article shall be made
in triplicate, the original shall be mailed to the commissioner of
agriculture, one copy shall be given to the person applying for the
license and one copy shall be retained by the City Clerk.
[Rev. Ords. 1953, Ch. 24, § 4; Ord. of 9-12-1966]
A suitable tag showing the year the dog license is issued and
bearing such other data as the commissioner of agriculture may prescribe
shall be given to each licensee, and must be securely attached to
a leather or metal collar which must be worn at all times by the dog
for which the license was issued; and it shall be unlawful for any
person to remove such tag or to place either collar or tag on any
dog not described or for which the license was not issued.
[Rev. Ords. 1953, Ch. 24, § 12; Ord. of 9-12-1966]
The City health officer shall investigate all dog bites referred
to him by the police department.
[Rev. Ords. 1953, Ch. 24, § 12; Ord. of 9-12-1966]
(a)
It shall be unlawful for the owner or person keeping or harboring
any dog, when notified that such dog has bitten any person or has
caused a skin abrasion to any person, to sell or give away such dog
or to permit or allow such dog to be taken beyond the City limits,
except under the care of a licensed veterinarian.
(b)
It shall be the duty of such owner or keeper upon receiving notice
of the character aforesaid, to immediately place such dog under confinement
for a period of at least 14 days, or to deliver such dog to the police
department. The director of public health and the City health officer
shall be notified immediately by the person in charge of the death
of any dog while under confinement.
(c)
It shall be unlawful for the owner or person keeping or harboring
any dog when notified that such dog has bitten any person or has so
injured any person as to cause abrasion of the skin to destroy such
animal without permission from the City health officer.
[Rev. Ords. 1953, Ch. 24, § 12; Ord. of 9-12-1966]
Any dog which shall have been bitten by another dog having or
suspected of having rabies shall be immediately impounded for observation
as provided in this article.
[Rev. Ords. 1953, Ch. 24, § 7; Ord. of 9-12-1966; Ord. of 9-25-1972]
(a)
Unlicensed dogs or dogs found running at large shall be taken up
and impounded in the shelter designated as the City animal shelter,
and there confined in a humane manner for a period not to exceed 14
days.
(b)
The owner of an impounded dog shall be entitled to resume possession of such dog upon compliance with the licensing provisions of this article and the payment of impoundment fees as set forth in § 4-20.
(c)
Any dog impounded under the provisions of this article and not reclaimed
by its owner within 10 days, may be humanely destroyed or 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 article.
[Rev. Ords. 1953, Ch. 24, § 7; Ord. of 9-12-1966]
The City may transfer title of all dogs held by it at its animal
shelter after the legal detention period has expired and the animal
has not been claimed by its owner.
[Rev. Ords. 1953, Ch. 24, § 8; Ord. of 9-12-1966; Ord. of 4-7-1975; Ord. of 3-3-1980]
Any animal impounded in accordance with this article may be reclaimed as provided in § 4-26 upon payment by the owner of the following fees to the City: Impoundment fee of $10 for each animal, except that upon the second impoundment, the fee shall be $15, and upon the third and all subsequent impoundments of the same animal, the fee shall be $25, plus board in the amount of $2.50 per day for each dog.
[Rev. Ords. 1953, Ch. 24, § 7; Ord. of 9-12-1966]
When dogs are found running at large and their ownership is
known, such dogs need not be impounded, but the City may, at its discretion,
cite the owners of such dogs to appear in court to answer charges
of violation of this article.
[Rev. Ords. 1953, Ch. 24, § 12(a); Ord. of 9-12-1966]
At the owner's request, which shall be in writing, dogs
may be disposed of by the City for situations not provided for in
this article upon payment of a fee of $5 by the owner to the City.
[Rev. Ords. 1953, Ch. 24, § 14; Ord. of 9-12-1966]
If any dangerous, fierce or vicious dog cannot be safely taken
up and impounded, such dog may be slain by any policeman or duly authorized
animal control officer. In all cases where any dog which has bitten
a person or caused an abrasion of the skin of any person, is slain
by any policeman whether by order of the court or otherwise and a
period of less than 15 days has elapsed since the day on which such
dog bit any person or caused an abrasion of the skin of any person,
it shall be the duty of the policeman slaying such dog to forthwith
deliver the carcass and brain to the Chief of Police who shall forward
the brain intact to the director of public health.
[Rev. Ords. 1953, Ch. 24, § 9; Ord. of 9-12-1966]
(a)
It shall be unlawful for any person to keep or harbor within the
City more than three dogs over four months old in or about any premises,
house, barn or other building, or in or about all buildings on any
one premises occupied by any one family, and the keeping or harboring
of dogs as aforesaid is hereby declared to be a nuisance.
(b)
The payment of a license fee on dogs shall not be construed to allow
the keeping of more than three dogs, as aforesaid, on any one premises.
(c)
This limitation shall not apply to any person, group of persons,
or corporations engaged in the commercial business of breeding, buying,
selling, or boarding of dogs or operating a veterinary hospital.
[Rev. Ords. 1953, Ch. 24, § 11; Ord. of 9-12-1966]
[Rev. Ords. 1953, Ch. 24, § 5; Ord. of 9-12-1966; Ord. of 4-16-1973]
It shall be unlawful for the owner of any dog, licensed or unlicensed,
to permit such dog to run at large, except when used for hunting.
[Rev. Ords. 1953, Ch. 24, § 6, Ord. of 9-12-1966]
The owner of any bitch in heat shall keep the same confined
or on a leash at all times and shall not permit such dog to be at
large within the City or on any premises other than those of the owner.
Every bitch found running at large in violation of this section is
hereby declared to be a public nuisance and shall be impounded and
the owner, keeper or person harboring such bitch shall be deemed guilty
of a misdemeanor.
[Rev. Ords. 1953, Ch. 24, § 10; Ord. of 9-12-1966]
No person shall own, keep or harbor any dog which by loud, frequent
or habitual barking, howling or yelping shall disturb the peace of
any person.
