(A) Authority of police. The police, or any other duly appointed person, may take and impound any animal which is not being kept, confined, or restrained in a manner consistent with the requirements of this chapter. The police or appointed person may enter upon private premises, in accordance with § 10.20, where it appears that there is reasonable cause to believe that an animal is not being kept, confined, or restrained as herein required.
(B) Notice to owner. Immediately upon the impounding of an animal wearing a current license tag, the police shall make every reasonable effort to notify the owner or harborer of such impoundment, and of the conditions whereby the owner or harborer may regain custody of the animal. Verbal notice shall be immediately confirmed in writing by the police.
(C) Reclaiming. Any animal impounded hereunder may be reclaimed by the owner or harborer of same within five days after receiving notice of impoundment, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays, upon payment to the Clerk/Treasurer of an impounding fee which shall be established by the City Council in January of each year, together with the actual costs incurred for boarding. If the animal is a dangerous animal as defined by law, it shall be kept for seven regular business days, and if it is a cruelly treated animal as defined by law, it shall be kept for ten regular business days. If the animal being reclaimed has no license, and a license is required, a license shall be issued, and the fee for it paid prior to the release from impoundment.
(D) Dogs which cannot be impounded. If an animal is rabid, or otherwise diseased, vicious, or dangerous, and cannot be impounded after a reasonable effort or without serious risk to the impounder or others, such animal may be immediately killed.
(E) Destruction. If an animal taken up and impounded has not been reclaimed within the times specified in division (C) above, then the city may, at its discretion, destroy or euthanize the animal.
(Ord. 94, passed 8-10-1999; Ord. passed 12-11-2018; Ord. passed 8-8-2023) Penalty, see § 90.99