A. Applicability: All dogs four (4) months of age or older, kept or maintained by their owners in the city shall be licensed and registered. (Ord. 2006-64)
B. Conditions For Licensing: The police department may issue licenses to the owner of any dog upon meeting the following conditions:
1. The making of an application for license, which application shall state the name and address of the owner, the name, breed, color and gender of the dog owned or kept by the owner, whether the owner has been convicted of a violent felony, and whether the owner has ever been an owner of a dog declared either dangerous or vicious;
2. Evidence that the owner has complied with the requirements of section 3-4-3 of this chapter relating to rabies vaccination for each dog to be licensed and registered;
3. If the dog has been surgically spayed or neutered, a written certificate signed by a veterinarian licensed to practice veterinary medicine in the state of Illinois describing the dog in question and indicating that the dog had been previously spayed or neutered;
4. The payment of the license and registration fee; and
5. That any owner of a dog determined to be dangerous or vicious, shall also provide proof of insurance covering the actions of said dog and any and all liability created by the dog, in the amount of not less than five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000.00) per occurrence.
C. Costs For Licensing: The costs for licensing a dog shall be as follows:
1. Altered dog: Five dollars ($5.00).
2. Unaltered dog: Twenty five dollars ($25.00). (Ord. 2008-36)
D. Exceptions: The provisions of this section relating to licensing shall not apply to:
1. Dogs whose owners are temporarily visiting within the city for a period of thirty (30) days or less;
2. Dogs which are brought into the city for the purpose of participating in a dog show, exhibition or demonstration;
3. "Seeing eye" dogs which have been properly trained to assist the visually impaired when such dogs are actually used to aid the visually impaired;
4. Any dogs which are used to assist the disabled; and
5. Law enforcement agency dogs.
E. License Term: All licenses issued pursuant to this section shall be valid for a term not to exceed one year, from each January 1 to December 31 of the calendar year.
F. When Due; Late Fee: Applications for dog licenses shall be made from December 1 to December 31 each year. For any application made subsequent to December 31 for any dog subject to licensing prior to December 31, a late fee of ten dollars ($10.00) for altered dogs, and twenty dollars ($20.00) for unaltered dogs shall be charged for each dog license to be issued.
G. Nontransferable; Nonrefundable: The license for any dog shall not be transferable to any other dog. No refunds shall be made on any dog license.
H. Penalty: The owner of any dog, which is subject to licensing and registration pursuant to subsection A of this section, but who does not comply with those provisions, shall be subject to the penalties provided in chapter 8 of this title.
I. Cost Of Administration: The license fees charged pursuant to this section are charged to defray the administrative costs and are not to be deemed a penalty or tax. The license fees shall not be construed as relieving the owner from any penalty imposed for any violation of this title. (Ord. 2006-64)