The city shall maintain an animal shelter to house impounded or surrendered animals. The city manager, or his designee, shall be designated as the caretaker of every impounded or surrendered animal immediately upon their intake at the animal shelter. The designated caretaker is authorized to provide protective vaccinations, by a state licensed veterinarian or by a person under the veterinarian’s supervision, and any other medical care needed to help prevent the spread of disease in the shelter.
Upon impounding an animal, the animal control authority shall make a reasonable effort to notify the owner and inform that person of the conditions whereby custody of the animal may be regained pursuant to this article.
If an impounded unlicensed animal is not claimed by the owners within three (3) business days after notification of impoundment by the animal control authority the animal shall be subject to disposal by adoption, transfer, or humane euthanasia. The city may deviate from this timeframe when dealing with a sick, injured, diseased, dangerous, and/or feral animal or when acting pursuant to a mutual agreement between the city’s animal control authority and owner of the impounded animal.
Impounded licensed animals not claimed by the owners within five (5) business days from the date notification was provided, shall be subject to disposal by adoption, transfer, or humane euthanasia. The city may deviate from this timeframe when dealing with a sick, injured, diseased, dangerous, and/or feral animal and when acting pursuant to a mutual agreement between the city’s animal control authority and said owner of impounded animal.
If an animal has been impounded and has an identification tag, a microchip or other identification the animal control authority shall notify the owner by posting written notice at the address of the registered location of the animal, by telephone, by email, by regular mail or by whatever reasonable method is determined appropriate by the animal control authority. Notice shall be deemed sufficient if it is given pursuant to the information provided to the city for said license or as indicated on the identifying tag or microchip.
If an impounded animal has no identification tag, microchip or other identification the animal control authority may dispose of the animal by adoption, transfer, or humane euthanasia after three (3) business days.
Community cats may be held longer, as space is available. Community cats that bite or scratch a person shall undergo rabies observation or testing and be euthanized. Community cats that are impounded for biting or scratching a person may not be released to a community cat caregiver, returned to their original location or relocated to another community cat colony.
If at any time during impoundment, the animal control authority determines an animal is in a state of disease, malnutrition, pain, suffering, or the like, the animal control authority may choose to euthanize such animal or have such animal assessed by a state licensed veterinarian. When having the animal assessed by a veterinarian, the animal control authority may make a determination as to the disposition of the animal after consideration of whether the owner of the animal can be located, the cost of medical treatment, whether the owner is willing or able to pay for such medical treatment, and whether euthanasia should be recommended to prevent further suffering by the animal.
(Ordinance O-19-008, sec. 3, adopted 2/21/19)
As outlined in this article, any impounded animal may be redeemed by the registered owner. Prior to redemption of any animal the owner shall pay all applicable fees as determined by the animal control authority and sign any citations which are to be issued. Payment of outstanding shelter fees are not considered to be in lieu of a fine, penalty, or city license fees.
No animal may be redeemed until such animal is properly licensed and vaccinated, pursuant to this chapter.
(Ordinance O-19-008, sec. 3, adopted 2/21/19)
Disposal or redemption of an animal by any method specified herein does not relieve the animal’s owner of liability for violations and/or any accrued charges.
(Ordinance O-19-008, sec. 3, adopted 2/21/19)
(a) 
The animal control authority may dispose of impounded animals after the expiration of any required impoundment and notification period by any of the following methods:
(1) 
Adoption:
a. 
The animal control authority shall place for adoption dogs or cats impounded by the city under the following conditions:
(i) 
The animal control authority shall determine whether a dog or cat is healthy enough for adoption and if its health and age are adequate for the required rabies vaccination.
(ii) 
There will be an adoption fee for all dogs and cats at an amount set by the city council. The fee shall include, but not be limited to, the cost of sterilization, rabies vaccination, microchip and city licensing.
(iii) 
All animals adopted from the city’s animal shelter shall be vaccinated against rabies, and sterilized within thirty (30) days of adoption. If, in the opinion of a state licensed veterinarian, there is a legitimate health risk justifying the delay of the sterilization, the adopter shall immediately notify the animal control authority so that another sterilization date can be selected. An adopter commits an offense if he fails to have the animal sterilized. For the purposes of this section, a legitimate health risk cannot be based solely on the animal’s age.
b. 
If an adopted animal dies on or before the sterilization completion date, the adopter must notify the animal control authority that the animal is deceased.
c. 
If an adopted animal is lost or stolen, before sterilization, the adopter must notify the animal control authority. If the adopted animal is believed to be stolen, the adopter must provide documentation that a report was filed with the appropriate law enforcement agency. This documentation must be delivered not later than seven (7) days after the date of the animal’s disappearance and shall describe the circumstances surrounding the disappearance and the date of disappearance.
d. 
Adopted animals cannot be given away, sold or exchanged without prior permission of the animal control authority. If for any reason, the adopter cannot keep the adopted animal, it must be returned to the animal shelter.
e. 
The animal control authority may reclaim an adopted animal if confirmation of the sterilization is not received.
(2) 
The animal control authority may offer the animal to an animal welfare group provided that the group sterilizes and microchips the animal prior to placing it into an adoptive home; and
(3) 
The animal control authority may humanely euthanize the animal by methods approved by the American Veterinary Medical Association or the Texas Department of State Health Services.
(b) 
The choice of which of these options to use shall be made at the sole discretion of the animal control authority unless otherwise mandated by a court order.
(c) 
Any impounded, licensed or unlicensed, animal which appears to be suffering from serious injury or disease and which is in immediate pain and suffering and probably will not recover or which appears to have an infectious disease which is a danger to humans or to other animals in the opinion of the animal control authority or which, due to its extremely violent nature, poses a substantial risk of bodily harm to the safety of the animal control authority, may be humanely euthanized at any time during its holding period by the animal control authority. In the event such an animal is wearing an identification tag on its collar or harness, the animal control authority shall attempt to notify the owner by telephone before taking any action.
(d) 
It shall be an affirmative defense to prosecution of the owner if he or she can show that, at the time of its impoundment, the animal that was at large due to a major natural disaster, fire, criminal or negligent acts of a third party who was not residing at the animal owner’s residence. In such event, the owner shall be subject only to the provisions of this chapter that require a current rabies vaccination and city license. An owner’s claim of a fire or the criminal or negligent acts of a third party must be proven in one (1) or more of the following manners:
(1) 
A certified copy of a city police or fire report verifying the incident; or
(2) 
The affidavit of city police or fire personnel with direct knowledge of the incident.
(e) 
It shall be unlawful for a person to fail or refuse to deliver an unlicensed or unvaccinated animal to the city animal control authority or police officer upon demand for impounding.
(Ordinance O-19-008, sec. 3, adopted 2/21/19)