(a) Any community cat impounded by animal control shall be identified by its left ear tip and released to the appropriate community cat colony unless one (1) of the following exceptions is made:
(1) The animal control authority has determined the community cat requires immediate veterinary care. If the community cat is to receive care and be released, the community cat colony caregiver is responsible for paying all accrued medical expenses prior to the community cat being released.
(2) The community cat has bitten any human and the cat is required to be immediately quarantined for rabies observation. If the community cat is to be released, the community cat colony caregiver is responsible for paying all quarantine expenses prior to the community cat being released.
(b) If a community cat colony is the source for a substantial number of nuisance complaints from multiple sources, the community cat colony must be relocated, or the cats claimed by owners and re-homed. A substantial number of nuisance complaints means three (3) or more complaints within the past twelve (12) months. Multiple sources mean that there are two (2) or more reporting parties that do not reside at the same address.
(c) The city reserves the right to immediately seize and remove any and all community cats from a community cat colony if:
(1) A community cat colony violates and section contained in this article;
(2) The community cat colony poses a risk to public health or safety due to a suspected exposure to the rabies virus or any other zoonotic or epizootic diseases;
(3) A community cat colony is declared a nuisance under subsection 5-103(b) and the cats are not relocated or rehomed; or
(4) If the animal control supervisor, in his or her sole discretion, determines it is in the best interest of the city to remove the cats.
(Ordinance O-19-008, sec. 3, adopted 2/21/19)