(A) Injured animals.
(1) If an animal without identification is injured and the owner cannot be found, it will be the duty of the Animal Control Officer or designated Animal Control Agency to determine if that animal for humane reasons, due to the extent of the injury and the suffering, shall be destroyed. The city and Animal Control Officer shall be immune from liability for this humane act.
(2) If an injured animal with a license tag issued by the city is picked up, it shall, if possible, be delivered to a licensed veterinarian. The animal owner must pay all expenses of the city and the veterinarian charges and fees.
(Prior Code, § 2.0410)
(B) Abused animals. In cases where an animal or animals have been seized by the Animal Control Officer or designated animal control agency based upon abuse, neglect, cruelty, or abandonment, such animal or animals may be adopted by another person or humanely euthanized thereby extinguishing all property rights of the existing owner, all in accordance with the following:
(1) If the owner of the animal is known, the Animal Control Officer or the animal shelter shall provide notice to the owner, which notice shall inform the owner of the animal shelter’s intent to dispose of the animal.
(2) The owner shall have a period of three business days to:
(a) Declare in writing and deliver to the animal shelter:
1. Notice of said owner’s intent to maintain ownership of the animal and to object to the adoption or euthanasia thereof; and
2. Notice that said owner shall pay when due all impoundment, board, and veterinary costs until such time as the animal shall be released to said owner or be adopted or euthanized.
(b) Pay all impoundment, board, and veterinary costs, up to the date of the owner’s declaration of intent to maintain his or her ownership of said animal to the animal shelter.
(3) Upon notification of said owner’s intent to maintain ownership of the animal and the objection to the adoption or euthanasia thereof, said owner shall continue said payments to the animal shelter for impoundment, board, and veterinary costs on a weekly basis until such time as the animal shall be released to said owner or be adopted or euthanized.
(4) If the owner fails to declare his or her intent to maintain ownership of the animal or fails to make any payment in a timely manner, or if the identity of the owner is unknown or if notice to the owner cannot otherwise be made, the ownership of the animal will be transferred to the animal shelter.
(Prior Code, § 2.0411)