It shall be unlawful for any person to own a
dog four months old or older in this County unless such dog is licensed
as required by the provisions of this article.
Any person may obtain a dog license by making
oral or written application to the Treasurer of the County, accompanied
by the amount of license tax and current certificate of vaccination
as required by this article. The Treasurer or other officer charged
with the duty of issuing dog licenses shall only have authority to
license dogs of resident owners or custodians who reside within the
boundary limits of the County and may require information to this
effect from any applicant. Upon receipt of proper application and
current certificate of vaccination as required by this article, the
Treasurer or other officer charged with the duty of issuing dog licenses
shall issue a license receipt for the amount on which he recorded
the name and address of the owner or custodian, the date of payment,
the year for which issued, the serial number of the tag, whether male,
unsexed female, female or kennel, and deliver the metal license tags
or plates provided for herein. The information thus received shall
be retained by the Treasurer, open to public inspection, during the
period for which such license is valid. The Treasurer may establish
substations in convenient locations in the County and appoint agents
for the collection of the license tax and issuance of such licenses.
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 chapter the burden of
proof of the fact that such dog has been licensed or is otherwise
not required to bear a tag at the time shall be on the owner of the
dog.
A dog license shall consist of a license receipt
and a metal tag. The tag shall be stamped or otherwise permanently
marked to show the jurisdiction issuing the license and the calendar
year for which issued and bear a serial number. The tag may be stamped
or otherwise marked to show the sex of the dog.
If a dog license tag is lost, destroyed or stolen,
the owner or custodian shall at once apply to the Treasurer or his
agent who issued the original license for a duplicate license tag,
presenting the original license receipt. Upon affidavit of the owner
or custodian before the Treasurer or his agent that the original license
tag has been lost, destroyed or stolen, he shall issue a duplicate
license tag which the owner or custodian shall immediately affix to
the collar of the dog. The Treasurer or his agent shall endorse the
number of the duplicate and the date issued on the face of the original
license receipt. The fee for a duplicate tag for any dog shall be
$1.
Dog license receipts shall be carefully preserved
by the licensees and exhibited promptly on request for inspection
by any animal control officer or other officer. Dog license tags shall
be securely fastened to a substantial collar by the owner or custodian
and worn by such dog. The owner of the dog may remove the collar and
license tag required by this section when the dog is engaged in lawful
hunting, the dog is competing in a dog show, the dog has a skin condition
which would be exacerbated by the wearing of a collar, the dog is
confined or the dog is under the immediate control of its owner.