1. Any dog or cat or other small animal found running at large and impounded in the animal shelter shall be there confined in a humane manner. Animals not claimed by their owner before the expiration of 72 hours, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays and city holidays, shall become the property of the city and shall be disposed of at the discretion of the city.
2. The Animal Control Officer, upon receiving any animal for impoundment, shall record or cause to be recorded the description, breed, color and sex of the animal and whether or not it is licensed, and the date and time of impoundment. If the animal is licensed or if the owner or keeper is known, the officer shall enter the name and address of the owner or keeper, or the city license or rabies tag number as maybe shown on the records or identification attached to the animal. The Animal Control Officer shall telephone the owner or keeper, or shall post written notice at the address shown on city records to be that of the owner or keeper, to notify the owner or keeper that unless reclaimed in accordance with this code within 72 hours after impoundment, Saturdays, Sundays and city holidays excluded, the animal will be destroyed or otherwise disposed of by the city. Attempts to contact the owner or keeper will be recorded on the reverse of the impoundment record.
3. At the end of the period prescribed in this section, animals that have not been reclaimed by the owner or keeper thereof shall be destroyed, adopted or otherwise disposed of in a humane manner and as required by law. Any animal which is eligible for adoption may be adopted after the 72-hour period. If in the judgment of the Animal Control Officer, an animal has been well maintained, the animal may be retained for an additional 72 hours for the purpose of adoption, or transferred to an animal adoption agency or national breed rescue organization.
4. Before any dog or cat is released for adoption from the city’s animal shelter, such dog or cat shall be issued a license, as provided for in this chapter, if such dog or cat has not been previously licensed.
5. No animal may be adopted from the animal shelter by any employee of the shelter for any reason, nor may any employee of the shelter adopt, give away or sell any animal from the shelter except in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.
6. There is hereby established a grace period of seven days beginning on the day of adoption and ending at the close of business of the seventh day thereafter, during which period an animal adopted from the city’s animal shelter may be returned to the animal shelter for a refund of the adoption fee, spay/neuter deposit, vaccination deposit and license fee or, at the option of adopting party, a replacement animal, conditioned solely upon the presentation of written certification of a licensed veterinarian that the adopted animal is in poor health.
7. The City Council, by duly enacted resolution, may designate certain days in which animals eligible for adoption may be adopted from the city’s animal shelter without the payment of the adoption fee as required in the fee schedule; provided, however, that the other provisions of this chapter shall apply to the animals adopted under this subsection 7.
8. There is hereby established a “no questions asked” period of three days, from the date of the adoption, whereby and adopted animal can be returned, for any reason, to the animal shelter, and a full refund of fees and any deposits received.
Statutory reference:
Destruction of animals, sodium pentobarbital and other approved methods, see 4 O.S. Chapter 15, §§ 501 to 508