It shall be unlawful for any person to own a
dog four months old or over that is not properly licensed as required
by this article.
The license fee for dogs four months old or
over shall be established annually by the City Council at the time
of adoption of the annual appropriation resolution. A delinquent fee
to equal not less than or more than the amount of a license shall
be assessed for any license that is not purchased within 30 days of
the required date of licensure. No refund will be made for licenses
for animals deceased or otherwise removed from the City during a period
of licensure. Licenses are transferable from one person to another,
provided that a fee of 1/2 of the amount of the license is paid to
the City Treasurer.
A.Â
The owner of a dog may obtain a dog license by making
written application to the City Treasurer accompanied by the amount
of the license tax and a valid certificate of vaccination against
rabies. Upon receipt of proper application and certification of vaccination,
the Treasurer shall issue a license receipt on which shall be recorded
the name and address of the owner, the date of payment, the year for
which issued and the serial number of the tag, and the Treasurer shall
deliver the metal license tags or plates provided for by this article.
B.Â
On or before January 1 and not later than January
31 of each year, the owner of any dog four months old or older shall
purchase a dog license from the City Treasurer.
C.Â
If a dog shall become four months of age or come into
the possession of any City resident between January 1 and November
1 of any year, then the owner of such dog shall forthwith purchase
the dog license required by this article from the City Treasurer.
D.Â
If a dog shall become four months of age or come into
the possession of any City resident between November 1 and December
31 of any year, the owner of such dog shall purchase a license from
the City Treasurer forthwith and such license shall protect from the
payment of the license tax to the end of the succeeding calendar year.
Payment of the license tax required by this
article subsequent to a summons for a violation of this article shall
not relieve such owner from the penalties provided for such violation.
A dog license shall consist of a license receipt
and a metal tag adopted by the Council. The tag shall be stamped or
otherwise permanently marked to show the sex of the dog and the calendar
year for which issued, and it shall bear a serial number. License
tags which have expired and remain unsold at the close of the calendar
year stamped on such tags may be disposed of in any manner deemed
advisable by the City Treasurer, who annually shall report to the
City Manager the number of unsold dog license tags and the method
of disposal of such tags.
Dog license tags shall be securely fastened
to a substantial collar by the owner or custodian and worn by such
dog.
Any dog not wearing a collar bearing a license
tag of the proper calendar year shall prima facie be deemed to be
unlicensed, and in any proceedings under this article the burden of
proof of the fact that the dog has been licensed or is otherwise not
required to bear a tag at the time shall be on the owner of the dog.
If any dog tag shall become lost, destroyed
or stolen, the owner or custodian shall at once apply to the Treasurer
for a duplicate license tag presenting the original receipt. Upon
affidavit of the owner or custodian before the Treasurer that the
original license tag has been lost, destroyed, or stolen, the Treasurer
shall issue a duplicate license tag which the owner or custodian shall
immediately affix to the collar of the dog. The Treasurer shall endorse
the number of the duplicate and the date issued on the face of the
original receipt. The fee for a duplicate tag shall be established
annually be the City Council at the time of adoption of the annual
appropriation resolution. The fee shall not be less than $1.
Dog license receipts shall be carefully preserved
by the licensees and exhibited promptly on request for inspection
by any animal control officer, police officer or any other officer
charged with enforcing violations of this chapter.
