(a) 
The provisions of this article shall be applicable to the impoundment of all animals.
(b) 
All animals impounded shall be held at such location as designated by the city manager, chief of police or animal services director, at the owner's expense, and all impoundment fees, which shall include the cost of capture, cost of transportation, medical care and food and housing of such animal, shall be paid by the owner of said animal prior to the return of the impounded animal to the lawful owner. In addition, the city manager, the chief of police or animal services director may require the animal to be inoculated prior to the release of the animal.
(c) 
If any owner shall refuse to pay the required impoundment and other fees as established by the city council, no animal so impounded shall be returned to such owner unless specifically authorized by the city manager, and the city shall have the right to commence such proceedings as shall be necessary in a court of competent jurisdiction to order recovery all such costs incurred.
(Ordinance 2024-06-26 adopted 6/24/2024)
The chief of police and animal services director are hereby authorized to seize and impound, subject to the provisions of this article, all animals found within the city limits in violation of the provisions of this chapter, whether or not such animal shall be in the immediate presence of its owner or custodian.
(Ordinance 2024-06-26 adopted 6/24/2024)
The animal services director, upon impounding or receiving any animal, shall make a complete registry of such animal, entering the breed (if known), the color and sex of the animal, whether the animal has been vaccinated and the time and place of taking such animal into custody.
(Ordinance 2024-06-26 adopted 6/24/2024)
The city manager is directed and authorized to establish from time-to-time a schedule of fees, charges and expenses assessed for impoundment, which shall include but not be limited to such costs incurred by the city in the capture of the animal, transportation of the animal, costs incurred during the time the animal was impounded and such other costs and expenses as shall be from time-to-time incurred during the term of the impoundment, including veterinarian and other expenses reasonably incurred.
(Ordinance 2024-06-26 adopted 6/24/2024)
(a) 
The city manager may not release an animal impounded under this article unless the owner or handler:
(1) 
Pays all applicable fees, including the impound fee; and
(2) 
For a dog or cat, provides proof of current vaccination or vaccinates the animal.
(b) 
If an animal is impounded by the city, it shall be a condition of redemption that the animal be neutered or spayed by a licensed veterinarian prior to redemption. In the alternative, and in the discretion of the animal services director of the city, an owner may sign an agreement to have the animal neutered or spayed by a licensed veterinarian to present proof of the completion of the procedure within thirty (30) days of the date of the agreement.
(c) 
If an owner of an animal impounded agrees to neuter or spay the animal, either under the provisions of subsection (b), or voluntarily for animals not subject to the mandatory sterilization provisions of that subsection, he or she shall be entitled to a discount of fifty percent (50%) of the impound fees.
(Ordinance 2024-06-26 adopted 6/24/2024)
(a) 
An animal surrendered by its owner to the city is deemed to be immediately abandoned by its owner and becomes the property of the city. The city may transfer, place, or sell an animal surrendered by its owner at any time after intake.
(b) 
Except as provided in subsection (f), the animal shelter must not euthanize an animal before the animal has been impounded for seven (7) business days.
(c) 
Except as provided in subsection (d), the city shall hold an impounded animal not surrendered by its owner for a period of three (3) business days following impoundment of the animal for owner reclamation. On the fourth business day, an impounded animal becomes the property of the city.
(d) 
In order to save the life of an impounded animal not surrendered by its owner, the city may transfer that animal to a 26 U.S.C. section 501(c)(3) organization that is an animal shelter, animal rescue organization, or other animal-welfare organization prior to the expiration of the period described in subsection (c) subject to the following conditions:
(1) 
The city shall maintain documentation, in physical form reviewable by the public, of an animal transferred under this subsection, including a photograph of the animal and all information pertaining to the animal's impoundment and transfer, at the animal shelter for three business days following the impoundment of the animal by the city.
(2) 
An animal transferred under this subsection is considered abandoned by its owner, and becomes the property of the transferee organization, upon the expiration of three (3) business days from impoundment by the city.
(3) 
Prior to the expiration of the period described in subsection (d)(2), the transferee organization is the designated caretaker of the animal.
(4) 
An animal transferred under this subsection remains subject to reclamation by its owner prior to the expiration of the period described in subsection (d)(2).
(e) 
An animal in the custody of the city solely for purposes of sterilization, vaccination, or microchipping, is not subject to a mandatory period of impoundment. The city is the designated caretaker, but not owner, of such animal during any period of custody.
(f) 
Subsection (b) does not apply to an animal who has a poor or grave prognosis for being able to live without severe, unremitting physical pain even with comprehensive, prompt, and necessary veterinary care, or severe aggression as certified in writing by two independently reviewing animal control officers.
(g) 
Subsections (a) through (d) do not apply to an animal that is a dangerous or vicious animal under article 4.03 of this code.
(h) 
For purposes of calculating time periods in this section, the date of initial impound is not counted.
(i) 
Each day the city's animal shelter is open to the public for reclamation and adoption is a business day.
(Ordinance 2024-06-26 adopted 6/24/2024)
(a) 
Any owner of any impounded domesticated animal which has not been vaccinated or inoculated against diseases as required by this chapter, upon satisfactory proof of ownership, may redeem the animal.
(b) 
Prior to the release of the animal, such animal shall be vaccinated at the expense of the owner for rabies and such other communicable diseases as shall be deemed necessary and desirable by the chief of police of the city in order to protect the health, safety and well-being of the residents, citizens and inhabitants of the city.
(Ordinance 2024-06-26 adopted 6/24/2024)
(a) 
The city shall at no time ever incur liability because of the impoundment of any animal. In the event of loss, destruction, illness, deformity or other injury to an animal subject to impoundment at any time during the tenure of impoundment, such loss shall be the loss of the owner.
(b) 
The city council specifically finds and declares that the establishment of rules for impoundment is in the direct discharge of their governmental obligations and functions as provided under the laws of the state.
(Ordinance 2024-06-26 adopted 6/24/2024)