It shall be unlawful for the owner of any dog to permit such dog, whether it is licensed or unlicensed, to run at large within the city at any time.
(Code 1964 § 6-16; Code 1985 § 6-53)
(1) 
Any person who finds a companion animal and (a) provides care or safekeeping, or (b) retains a companion animal in such a manner as to control its activities shall, within 48 hours:
(a) 
Make a reasonable attempt to notify the owner of the companion animal, if the owner can be ascertained from any tag, license, collar, tattoo, or other form of identification or markings, or if the owner of the animal is otherwise known to the person; and
(b) 
Notify the Shenandoah Valley Animal Services Center (SVASC) and provide to such SVASC contact information including at least a name and a contact telephone number, a description of the animal including information from any tag, license, collar, tattoo, or other identification or markings, and the location where the companion animal was found.
(2) 
If a person finds a companion animal and (a) provides care or safekeeping, or (b) retains a companion animal in such a manner as to control its activities, the person shall comply with the provisions of SCC § 6.05.080.
(3) 
Any person who violates this section may be subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $50.00 per companion animal.
(Ord. 2008-03; Ord. 2017-12)
It shall be unlawful for the owner of any dog to permit such dog, whether it is licensed or not, to go, be, or remain on any property of the public school system or on any city park or playground or at any place where 10 or more people may be present, unless such dog is on a leash and under the direct control of some responsible person.
(Code 1985 § 6-54; Ord. 2008-03)
Any animal observed running at large by the animal control officer, or any other officer or in violation of any provision of this title, may be impounded and confined at the city public animal shelter. The Shenandoah Valley Animal Services Center is the city-designated public animal shelter facility for the purposes of this chapter.
(Code 1964 § 6-17; Code 1985 § 6-55; Ord. 2008-03; Ord. 2017-12)
(1) 
If an animal impounded under SCC § 6.10.210 is wearing a tag indicating the name and address of its owner, or such name and address are otherwise known, the impounding officer shall give notice to the owner within 24 hours after seizure of such animal. If such animal has upon it a license tag, the impounding officer shall give notice to the person in whose name the license stands within 24 hours after obtaining such name. Notice of the impounding shall be in writing, by mail, postage prepaid, or posted on the front door of the address of the owner, if known, and shall be construed as having been given at the time of posting. If the animal impounded has no name, address or license tag upon it and the owner is not otherwise known, then no notice shall be necessary.
(2) 
An animal confined pursuant to subsection (1) of this section shall be kept for a period of not less than five days, such period to commence on the day immediately following the day the animal is initially confined in the facility, unless sooner claimed by the rightful owner thereof, or, if the animal's rightful owner has surrendered all property rights in such animal and has read and signed a statement as required by subsection (7) of this section, disposed of as provided in subsections (5)(b), (c), (d), and (e) of this section.
(3) 
Any feral dog or feral cat not bearing a collar, tag, tattoo, or other form of identification which, based on the written certification of a disinterested person, exhibits behavior that poses a risk of physical injury to any person confining the animal, may be euthanized after being kept for a period of not less than three days, at least one of which shall be a full business day, such period to commence on the day the animal is initially confined in the facility, unless sooner claimed by the rightful owner. The certification of the disinterested person shall be kept with the animal as required by Section 3.2-6557 of the Code of Virginia. For purposes of this subsection, a disinterested person shall not include a person releasing or reporting the animal to the facility.
(4) 
Within 10 days after the notice provided for above or, in case such notice is not required, within five days after seizure of the animal, the owner of an animal impounded under this section shall be entitled to possession of such animal by complying with the following:
(a) 
Presenting proof of ownership satisfactory to the city's animal control officer.
(b) 
Complying with all applicable provisions of this article, including vaccination against rabies and licensing, if applicable.
(c) 
Paying the customary charges of the shelter for providing maintenance and shelter, not to exceed the actual expenses incurred thereby.
(d) 
Paying the civil penalty, as established in SCC § 6.05.020(4), to the city, payment of which shall be deemed to be an admission of violation and waiver of a court hearing. Such payment shall be deemed to be in full satisfaction of such violation.
(5) 
If an animal confined pursuant to this section has not been claimed, it may be humanely destroyed or disposed of by:
(a) 
Sale or gift to a federal agency, state-supported institution, agency of the commonwealth of Virginia, agency of another state, or a licensed federal dealer having its principal place of business located within the commonwealth; provided, that such agency, institution, or dealer agrees to confine the animal for an additional period of not less than five days;
(b) 
Delivery to any humane society or animal shelter within the commonwealth;
(c) 
Adoption by any person who is a resident of the county or city for which the pound is operated and who will pay the required license fee, if any, on such animal;
(d) 
Adoption by a resident of an adjacent political subdivision of the commonwealth; or
(e) 
Delivery, for the purposes of adoption or euthanasia only, to a humane society or an animal shelter located in and lawfully operating under the laws of another state; provided, that such humane society or animal shelter: (i) maintains records which would comply with Section 3.2-6557 of the Code of Virginia; (ii) requires that adopted dogs and cats be sterilized; and (iii) has been approved by the State Veterinarian or his designee as a facility which maintains such records, requires adopted dogs and cats to be sterilized, and provides adequate care and euthanasia.
(6) 
The operator or custodian of the pound shall make a reasonable effort to ascertain if the animal has a collar, tag, license, or tattooed identification. If such identification is found on the animal, a reasonable effort shall be made to return the animal to its owner or place the animal for adoption before humanely destroying the animal. Such animal may not be disposed of by sale or gift to a federal agency, state-supported institution, agency of the commonwealth, agency of another state, or a licensed federal dealer. Such identified animal shall be held for five days more than the holding period prescribed in subsection (2) of this section unless sooner claimed by the rightful owner. If the rightful owner of any animal confined may be readily identified, the operator or custodian of the pound shall make a reasonable effort to notify the owner of the animal's confinement within the next 24 hours following its confinement. At the expiration of the holding period required for such identified animal, the animal may be delivered to any resident who proposes to adopt it as a pet and who will pay the required license fee, if any, on the animal or to any humane society or animal shelter, or to a resident of an adjacent political subdivision of the commonwealth; however, no more than two animals or a family of animals shall be delivered during any 30-day period to any one such person.
(7) 
No provision herein shall prohibit the immediate destruction of a critically injured or critically ill animal for humane purposes. Any animal destroyed pursuant to the provisions of this title shall be euthanized by one of the methods prescribed or approved by the State Veterinarian. The pound shall be accessible to the public at reasonable hours during the week. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit confinement of other companion animals in such a pound or enclosure. Neither shall any provision in this section prohibit the immediate destruction, for humane purposes, of any animal not weaned, whether or not the animal is critically injured or critically ill.
Nothing in this section shall prohibit the immediate destruction or disposal by the methods listed in subsections (5)(b) through (e) of this section of an animal that has been delivered voluntarily or released to a pound, animal shelter, animal control officer, or humane society by the animal's rightful owner after the rightful owner has, in writing, surrendered all property rights in such animal and has read and signed a statement (a) certifying that no other person has a right of property in the animal and (b) acknowledging that the animal may be immediately euthanized or disposed by the methods listed in subsections (5)(b) through (e) of this section.
For purposes of this section, the term "animal" shall include agricultural animals; the term "rightful owner" shall mean a person with a right of property in the animal; and "humane society," when referring to an organization without the commonwealth, means any nonprofit organization organized for the purpose of preventing cruelty to animals and promoting humane care and treatment or adoption of animals.
(Code 1985 § 6-56; Ord. 2008-03; Ord. 2017-12)
(1) 
No person shall own or maintain a nuisance animal in the city.
(2) 
Nuisance Animal Defined. Any animal or animals that unreasonably annoy humans, endanger the life or health of other animals or persons, or substantially interfere with the rights of citizens, other than their owners, to enjoyment of life or property. The term "nuisance animal" shall mean and include, but is not limited to, any animal that:
(a) 
Is repeatedly found at large;
(b) 
Damages the property of anyone other than its owner;
(c) 
Molests or intimidates pedestrians or passersby;
(d) 
Chases vehicles;
(e) 
Causes fouling of the air by body odor and thereby creates unreasonable annoyance or discomfort to neighbors or others in close proximity to the premises where the animal is kept or harbored;
(f) 
Causes unsanitary conditions in enclosures or surroundings where the animal is kept or harbored;
(g) 
Attacks other domestic animals; or
(h) 
Has been found, after notice to its owner and a hearing by a court of competent jurisdiction, to be a public nuisance animal by virtue of being a menace to the public health, welfare, or safety.
(3) 
Whenever a formal complaint has been received by the police department or animal control officer of such a nuisance and the complaint is found to be justified, the police department or animal control officer shall notify the owner of the animal of the complaint and instruct such owner to abate such nuisance. If, after such notice, the owner fails to properly control the animal that creates or constitutes the nuisance, the police department or animal control officer shall take the necessary legal action to abate the nuisance by having the animal impounded or the owner of the animal charged with a violation of this section, either or both.
(4) 
Notwithstanding the foregoing, however, whenever in the discretion of the police department or animal control officer a complaint hereunder is justified and an immediate threat to the public health, welfare, or safety is posed, the police department and/or animal control officer may have the animal impounded immediately and charges filed hereunder. In such case, the provisions of SCC § 6.10.220 shall apply except that the animal shall remain impounded until disposition of the charges by the court.
(5) 
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a nuisance animal is impounded absent a complaint, the owner of such animal shall pay all charges of the impoundment, including charges for shelter and maintenance, not to exceed the actual expenses.
(6) 
Nothing contained in this section shall prohibit any person, having sufficient evidence of a violation of one or more prohibitions set out in this section, from bringing a charge of violation hereunder directly without proceeding through the police department or animal control officer.
(Code 1985 § 6-58; Ord. 5-23-02; Ord. 2008-03; Ord. 2023-24)