Any city enforcement agent shall cause all animals within the city that may be found at-large as described in section
2-1-6, tethered as described in section
2-1-7, requiring quarantine as per section
2-1-8, or found in conditions in violation of sections
2-1-18 or
2-1-19 to be impounded in the city animal services facility.
(Ordinance 2023-26 adopted 10/10/2023)
(a) Any livestock impounded in accordance with section
2-4-1 shall be sold by the animal services officer at public auction after eighteen (18) days' notice of estray. Such notice shall be by posting written notices in two (2) public places within the city, one (1) of which shall be at the courthouse. The notice shall describe the animal impounded, the name and address of the person who reported the estray to the city animal control, the location of the stray when found, and the location of the stray until disposition.
(b) If it is unreasonable, because of the condition of health or probable
value of the animal or fowl, to give eighteen (18) days' public notice
before the sale, the animal services officer shall give such notice
of sale as he/she considers reasonable. Such notice shall be given
in the manner described above.
(c) Notwithstanding the above provisions, the animal services officer
shall not be required to sell any such animal for less than the reasonable
expenses incurred by the city in impounding, boarding and selling
such animal. In addition, at his/her discretion, the animal services
officer may withhold from sale any animals if he/she determines that
the bids for such animals are below their market value. In cases involving
livestock, the animal services officer shall be free to reoffer them
for sale in accordance with the provisions of this section or he/she
may sell them at a commercial auction.
(d) The animal services officer shall make a bill of sale or receipt
for each animal sold to the purchaser thereof and shall report monthly
the amount of money collected to the city.
(Ordinance 2023-26 adopted 10/10/2023)
(a) Upon impounding or receiving any dog or cat, the animal services
officer or kennel attendant shall scan the dog or cat for microchip
identification, check the dog or cat for identification tattoos, and
then make a complete registry, entering the breed, color and sex of
such dog or cat, the place and time at which it was taken into custody,
whether it has a microchip or tattoo identification, and whether it
is licensed.
(b) If the animal has microchip or tattoo identification or is licensed,
the animal services officer or kennel attendant shall also enter the
name, address and other contact information of the owner and the identification
number of the license tag, tattoo, or microchip.
(c) The animal services facility shall make a reasonable effort to inform
the owner or harborer of such dog or other animal so impounded of
the conditions whereby such dog or other animal may be redeemed.
(Ordinance 2023-26 adopted 10/10/2023)
(a) Any licensed dog or cat which is impounded at stray and cannot be
identified as having an owner by microchip, license, etc. on intake
becomes the property of the city. The animal will be held for three
(3) days to provide a reasonable effort for the owner to locate the
animal. If attempts have failed, the animal will be humanely euthanized,
adopted, sent to rescue, or transferred to another agency. The animal
services facility shall keep a record of the disposition of each dog
or cat.
(b) In the event the animal is seriously injured or has any contagious
disease which can be transmitted to other animals or to a person or
has displayed aggression or violence towards any person, animal, or
fowl, the holding period will be waived. After reasonable efforts
to notify the owner, if known, have failed, the animal will be humanely
euthanized.
(c) Before an owner can redeem an animal that has a contagious disease,
the owner must agree to provide the treatment to cure the animal of
the contagious disease and be provided with a written agreement will
be signed by the owner. An animal services officer will transport
the contagious animal to the vet who has agreed to treat the animal.
Pursuant to chapter 54 of title 7 of the United States Code, dogs
or cats that are sold to a dealer shall be cared for and held for
a period of five (5) days.
(d) Animals may be transferred to a humane organization, so long as the
humane organization agrees to vaccinate and sterilize the animal and
notify animal control.
(Ordinance 2023-26 adopted 10/10/2023; Ordinance
2024-10 adopted 3/12/2024)
The owner of any impounded dog or cat, subject to the provisions contained in this chapter, may redeem same at any time prior to its sale or destruction by paying the fees described in section
2-1-3 together with any other fees required by the provisions of this chapter.
(Ordinance 2023-26 adopted 10/10/2023)
(a) Whenever an unlicensed dog or cat is sold in accordance with section
2-4-4 or redeemed in accordance with section
2-4-5, such owner or purchaser shall be required to pay the prescribed rabies vaccination fee to the animal services facility. The animal services facility shall maintain control/custody of the animal until such time as a rabies vaccination is administered or have provided a scheduled vaccination date. In addition, the owner or purchaser of any dog or cat shall be provided a vaccination-license certificate for such dog or cat at the time of such sale or redemption.
(b) No animal shall be eligible for adoption unless spayed or neutered.
The animal shelter provides for spay or neutering of animals prior
to release for adoption. The cost of these services is included in
the adoption fee.
(c) No animal shall be eligible for redemption unless spayed or neutered.
The animal shelter provides for spay or neutering of animals prior
to release for redemption. The cost of these services shall be paid
by the owner along with the impound fees.
(d) If the animal adopted or redeemed is less than four (4) months of
age the adoption owner or owner of the redeemed animal must agree
to enter into and comply with the adoption contract which will designate
a period of time in which the spay/neuter procedure is to be performed
at their cost.
(1)
Should the adopted/redeemed animal be lost or die before the
surgery conditions as set forth in the contract have been complied
with, such loss or death shall be reported in person or by mail to
the animal shelter no later than seven (7) days from its occurrence.
(e) In cases where a dog or cat was adopted from the shelter and impounded,
the shelter shall keep the dog or cat from redemption by its owner
if the owner has not complied with the surgery conditions of the contract
as stated in this section. The adoption contract shall set forth this
requirement and provide for the title to revert to the city in the
event that the dog or cat is impounded.
(f) It is an exception to the requirements of subsection
(a) or
(b) if the animal to be adopted or redeemed is:
(1)
Less than four (4) months of age;
(2)
A licensed veterinarian certifies that the animal should not
be spayed/neutered for health reasons;
(3)
A licensed veterinarian certifies that the animal is permanently
nonfertile; or
(4)
Released to a registered 501(c)(3) rescue group approved by
the animal shelter supervisor.
(Ordinance 2023-26 adopted 10/10/2023)
To adopt a dog or cat from the animal shelter, the adopter shall pay the applicable adoption fee as prescribed in section
2-1-3 of this chapter.
(Ordinance 2023-26 adopted 10/10/2023)
(a) It shall be unlawful for any person or owner to keep, possess, harbor,
have control or custody, or maintain dogs and/or cats without having
a microchip identification implanted in each of their animal(s) or
those they care for.
(b) As provided in section
2-4-3, all animals impounded or received by the animal services facility shall be scanned for microchip identification.
(c) No animal shall be eligible for adoption unless the animal is implanted
with a microchip for identification, and the identification code of
that chip will be entered into the animal's file at the animal service
facility. The animal services facility provides for microchipping
of animals prior to release for adoption. The cost of these services
is included in the adoption fee.
(d) No animal shall be eligible for redemption unless the animal is implanted
with a microchip for identification, and the identification code of
that chip will be entered into the animal's file at the animal services
facility. The animal services facility provides for microchipping
of animals prior to release for redemption. The cost of these services
shall be paid by the owner along with the impound fees.
(e) All owners and adopters of animals shall be provided with detailing
the process for registration of the microchip with the online microchip
identification database. It shall be the responsibility of the owner
or adopter to enter all the required information for the animal and
to make any subsequent updates to this information with the microchipping
company.
(f) A recognized adoption placement partner organization shall comply
with the requirements of this section by either allowing the animal
services facility to implant a microchip and paying the microchipping
fee or implanting a microchip using their own resources and microchip
devices prior to releasing the animal for adoption and providing confirmation
to the animal services facility. It shall be the responsibility of
the adoption placement partner organization to ensure the final animal
adopter's information is input into the online microchip database.
(g) It is an exception to the requirements of this section if the animal
to be adopted or redeemed is under the age of four months or has a
high likelihood of suffering serious bodily injury if implanted with
a microchip due to the health condition of the animal and the owner
provides to the animal services facility written confirmation of this
fact from a licensed veterinarian.
(Ordinance 2023-26 adopted 10/10/2023)
If, at the time of the sale of any impounded animal in accordance
with the preceding sections, the owner has not redeemed such animal
and no purchaser can be found for the same, the animal services officer
shall euthanize or otherwise dispose of such animal. In the event
the animal is euthanized, the animal services officer shall dispose
of the carcass in such place and manner as may be appropriate for
such purpose.
(Ordinance 2023-26 adopted 10/10/2023)