(A) There is hereby imposed on a person owning or keeping up to two dogs or four cats a license fee as listed in the Camden County Fee Schedule, on each dog or cat six months of age or older for the privilege of keeping a dog or cat within the county.
(B) There is hereby imposed on a person owning or keeping a kennel an annual license fee as listed in the Camden County Fee Schedule, on the kennel for the privilege of keeping a kennel within the county.
(C) Every person owning or keeping up to two dogs or four cats shall apply to the Sheriff’s Office for a license for the privilege of keeping a dog or cat six months of age or older within the county or within 30 days after the dog or cat is first kept within the county, whichever comes first. The applicant shall be required to give the name and street address of the person owning or keeping the dog or cat and the name, breed or description, color, age and sex of the dog or cat. The applicant for a license shall be made in writing by the applicant at the Sheriff’s Office.
(D) Every person owning or keeping a kennel shall apply annually on or before December 31 to the Sheriff’s Office for a license for the privilege of keeping a kennel within the county or within 30 days after a kennel is first kept within the county, and the applicant shall be required to give the name and street address of the person owning or keeping the kennel The application for the license shall be made in writing by the applicant at the Sheriff’s Office.
(E) The license fee shall be paid at the same time as the application for license is made and the license fee receipt shall constitute the license.
(F) All dogs and cats kept within the county and on which a license fee is due pursuant hereto shall display a permanent license tag on the dog or cat. The license tag shall be obtained from the Sheriff’s Office and the license tag shall continue to be used from year to year. Lost or worn license tags shall be replaced by the owner or person keeping a dog or cat by applying for a license and paying the license fee as provided by this section.
(G) The owner or keeper of dogs or cats owned, boarded or kept within a kennel and which dogs or cats are not licensed and displaying a permanent license tag, as provided by this section, shall cause the dogs or cats to either:
(1) Display a permanent license tag on which shall appear the number assigned the kennel at the time payment of the license fee is made; or
(2) Display on a collar worn by the dog or cat the name and phone number of the current owner.
(H) The amount of any license fee imposed by this section shall be deemed a debt to the county. Any person owning, having or keeping any dog or cat in the county on or after July 1, 2021, without having obtained a license so to do shall be liable to an action in the name of the county in any court of competent jurisdiction for the amount of any license fee imposed by and required by this section to be paid for the privilege of keeping and having a dog or cat. The animal control officer is authorized to cause a complaint to be filed against any person violating any of the provisions of this section and to cause an action to be brought against any person failing to pay any license fee required by the provisions of this section for the recovery of the license fee. The action shall be cumulative and shall not be deemed as a bar or waiver of the right to institute any other civil or criminal proceeding for a violation of this section.
(I) The provisions of this section requiring dogs and cats to be licensed shall not apply to those dogs or cats owned by or in the charge or care of persons who are nonresidents of the county or temporarily within the county for a period not exceeding 30 days, nor to dogs or cats temporarily brought into the county for the exclusive purpose of entering the dogs or cats in a show or other exhibition and entered for and kept at the show or exhibition, nor to dogs used as lead dogs for blind persons.
(Ord. 2001-6-1, passed 6-4-01; Am. Ord. 2009-07-03, passed 6-6-09; Am. Ord. 2009-09-01, passed 9-8-09; Am. Ord., passed 7-6-21) Penalty, see § 93.99