(A) (1) Any person who shall own, keep or harbor a dog or cat over the age of six months within the zoning jurisdiction of the city shall, within 30 days after acquisition of the said dog or cat, acquire a license for each such dog or cat annually by or before May 1 of each year.
(2) The said tax shall be delinquent from and after June 1; provided, the possessor of any dog or cat brought into or harbored within the corporate limits subsequent to May 1 of any year shall be liable for the payment of the dog or cat tax levied herein and such tax shall be delinquent if not paid within ten days thereafter.
(3) The City Council may, as it deems necessary, provide public notice to the residents of the city about the licensing requirements of this provision. Licenses shall be issued by the authorized distributor upon this provision.
(4) Licenses shall be issued by the authorized distributor upon the payment of a license fee of $3 for each neutered male dog or cat and spayed female dog or cat and $5 for each un-neutered male dog or cat and un-spayed female dog or cat. When issued, such license shall not be transferable and no refund will be allowed in case of death, sale or other disposition of the licensed dog or cat.
(5) The owner shall state at the time the application is made and upon printed forms provided for such purpose, his or her name and address and the name, breed, color and sex of each dog or cat owned and kept by him or her.
(B) (1) Evidence of vaccination for rabies shall be presented with the application for a license and shall be certified by a city veterinarian. No license shall be issued until such rabies vaccination certificate has been presented to the authorized distributor.
(2) (a) Upon presentation of the rabies vaccination certificate, and payment of the license fee, the authorized distributor shall issue to the owner of a dog or cat a license certificate and a metallic tag for each dog or cat so licensed. The metallic tag shall be properly attached to the collar or harness of any dog or cat so licensed and shall entitle the owner to keep or harbor the said dog or cat until April 30 following such licensing. In the event mat a license tag is lost and upon satisfactory evidence that the original plate or tag issued in accordance with the provisions herein, the authorized distributor shall issue a duplicate or new tag for the balance of the year and may charge and collect a fee of $0.50 for each such duplicate or new tag so issued.
(b) All license fees and collections shall be immediately credited to the General Fund.
(3) It shall be the duty of the authorized distributor to issue tags of a suitable design that are different in appearance each year.
(Ord. 828, passed 8-11-2003; Ord. 915, passed 10-13-2008)