(a) Every owner or harborer of any dog over six months of age shall annually register with the city clerk his or her name and address with the name, sex and description of each dog owned or harbored and kept within the city. It shall be unlawful for the owner or harborer of any newly-acquired dog or any dog brought into the city to fail to register such animal within 10 days from acquisition or bringing the dog into the city. It shall be unlawful for the owner or harborer of any previously registered dog to fail to maintain current registration of such dog.
(b) Upon registration, the owner shall present a current, completed certificate of immunization against rabies. No registration shall follow without evidence of this document, and it shall be unlawful for the owner of any dog over six months of age to fail to maintain effective rabies immunization of such dog.
(c) The owner or harborer of any dog shall, at the time of registering such dog, present to the city clerk a certificate from an accredited veterinarian showing that a male dog has been neutered or a female dog has been spayed, if the dog has been neutered or spayed.
(d) The city clerk shall collect an annual registration fee of $5 for each dog. If the owner of a dog asks that proof of such registration and the dog tag named in Section 2-202 be mailed to such owner, an additional $5 fee shall be charged.
(e) The registration year shall be from January 1st through December 31st of each year. The fee shall be payable before February 15th of each year without penalty.
(f) If an owner or harborer of a dog that is located within the limits of the city on January 1st of any given year shall fail to register such dog prior to the 1st day of March of such year, the City Marshal may file a complaint against such owner or harborer in the municipal court of the city and if it is proven in such court proceedings that such owner or harborer did in fact fail to register such dog prior to the 1st day of March of such year, such owner or harborer shall be fined the sum of $50 for a first conviction. If the City Marshal files a subsequent such complaint or complaints in a later year or years based upon the time frames set forth in this Subsection (f) or based upon the time frames set forth in Subsection (g), below, and a conviction or convictions is/are obtained, then such owner or harborer shall be fined the sum of $75 for a second conviction and a sum of not less than $100 nor more than $200 for a third conviction. In addition to any fine assessed after a third conviction, an owner or harborer convicted a third time shall be jailed for a term of up to 30 days.
(g) If an owner or harborer of a dog that is not located within the limits of the city on January 1st of any given year but that is brought within the limits of the city after January 1st of any given year shall fail to register such dog within 45 days of the date such dog is brought within the limits of the city, the City Marshal may file a complaint against such owner or harborer in the municipal court of the city and if it is proven in such court proceedings that such owner or harborer did in fact fail to register such dog within such 45 day period, such owner or harborer shall be fined the sum of $50 for a first conviction. If the City Marshal files a subsequent such complaint or complaints in a later year or years based upon the time frames set forth in this Subsection (g) or based upon the time frames set forth in Subsection (f), above, and a conviction or convictions is/are obtained, then such owner or harborer shall be fined the sum of $75 for a second conviction and a sum of not less than $100 nor more than $200 for a third conviction. In addition to any fine assessed after a third conviction, an owner or harborer convicted a third time shall be jailed for a term of up to 30 days.
Registration fees as enumerated above may be prorated for newly acquired dogs or for dogs owned by a person or persons moving to and establishing a home in the city during a calendar year. Every owner or harborer of dog or dogs who shall fail to register the same prior to the 15th day of February of each year shall pay in addition to the registration fee herein provided a penalty fee for late registration of $5. (Ord. 337, Sec. 4:5, Ord. 509, Sec. 1:2; Code 2015)