A. No person shall knowingly harbor or keep any animal with a serious injury, or inflicted with mange, ringworm, distemper or any other contagious disease, unless such animal is being given adequate treatment for such disease or injury.
B. The department may take immediate possession of a diseased or injured animal, not being adequately treated, or not responding to treatment, and transport the animal to a place of safe custody or a veterinarian office, or humanely destroy the animal if such animal is beyond recovery, unless the owner places such animal under the control and treatment of a veterinarian forthwith.
C. The owner of such an animal in the possession of the department for injury or disease, shall pay all fees and expenses related to treatment, including, but not limited to, any transportation, confinement, board, veterinary care and associated treatment costs, and any protective impoundment fees. Failure to pay said costs and fees shall preclude return of the animal to its owner, except as set forth at subsection D of this section.
D. The department may waive all or part of any costs and fees when such costs and fees would create an undue hardship upon the owner and when such waiver would serve the best interests of the animal. The department may also make arrangements for return of the animal to the owner and postpone the payment of all or part of any costs and fees when such arrangement would serve the best interests of the animal. (Ord. 248, 8-2-1994)