A.
Every female animal in heat shall be kept confined
in a building or secure enclosure or in a veterinary hospital or boarding
kennel in such a manner that the female animal cannot come into contact
with another animal except for intentional breeding purposes.
B.
Every fierce, dangerous or vicious dog shall be kept
confined by its owner within a building or secure enclosure, and the
owner shall not take such dog out of such building or secure enclosure
unless such dog is securely muzzled.
C.
When in the judgment of a veterinarian an animal should
be destroyed for humane reasons, such animals may not be reclaimed
and shall be destroyed. Under emergency conditions, the Animal Control
Officer may destroy an injured animal, but only after making every
reasonable effort to procure the services of a veterinarian, including
transportation of the animal to a veterinarian's office. Every effort
to communicate with the owner concerning the animal's condition must
be made.
No wild animal may be kept within the Town;
provided, however, that wild animals may be kept for exhibition purposes
by circuses, zoos and educational institutions in accordance with
such ordinances as shall be adopted by the Town Council. Any wild
animal which escapes and is found at large may be destroyed by the
Animal Control Officer.
An owner shall keep his/her animal under restraint
at all times and shall not permit such animal to be at large. This
section shall not apply to cats or to hunting dogs in the process
of training or when in legal pursuit of wild game in season.
A.
An animal which is at large may be apprehended by the Animal Control Officer and impounded at the dog pound. An impounded animal may be claimed by its owner at any time during the impoundment by payment of the fees provided in Chapter 93, Fees. An impounded animal which is not claimed by its owner within five days may at any time thereafter be disposed or in a humane manner under the direction of the Animal Control Officer, such disposition to be in the manner provided in this chapter. The owner of the animal which is at large shall be in violation of this chapter.
B.
Immediately upon impounding an animal, the Animal
Control Officer shall make every reasonable effort to notify the owner
of the animal of the impoundment and to inform the owner of the animal
of the conditions under which he or she may regain custody of the
animal.
C.
When an animal is at large and its ownership is known
to or may be readily ascertained by the Animal Control Officer, such
animal need not be impounded, but the owner of such animal shall be
in violation of this chapter.
A.
The owner of an impounded animal shall be entitled to regain possession of the impounded animal, except as provided in this chapter in the cases of certain animals, upon the payment of the impoundment fee set forth in Chapter 93, Fees.
B.
One who purports to be the owner of an impounded animal
may establish his or her ownership by a license receipt, affidavits
of neighbors, photographs or other documents which would lead the
Animal Control Officer to reasonably conclude that the animal impounded
is owned by the purported owner.
C.
An animal which is impounded and which is not claimed
by its owner in the manner provided in this section within five days
after its impoundment may be disposed of under the direction of the
Animal Control Officer, as follows: Disposition may be by transfer
of title to a charitable organization for the protection, prevention
of cruelty to or rescue of animals, having preference for any such
organization in the Town or its immediately surrounding communities,
or by euthanasia by a veterinarian.
An impounded animal may be claimed by the owner by payment of the daily impoundment fee listed in Chapter 93, Fees, for each day the animal was impounded, plus any veterinarian charges for emergency services and medication provided during its impoundment. In addition, an impoundment fee shall be charged if a violation of this chapter is determined to have occurred. Such fee shall be payable to the Town Treasurer's office.
