(a) Any dog found in violation of the provisions of this article shall be subject to impoundment by the city.
(b) A record of all dogs impounded shall be kept by the city containing the following information: color, sex, weight, height, identifying marks, registration number (if any) and the date of impoundment.
(c) If the dog impounded has a current registration tag attached to its collar or if the impounding officer knows the identity of the dog’s owner, the owner of such dog, as shown by the records of the City Clerk shall be notified in writing as soon as possible or at least 24 hours before such dog is disposed of by destruction or sale. If, at the end of five days the City Clerk has been unable to locate the owner, or the owner, upon having been located, refuses to claim or redeem said dog, then the dog may be sold, euthanized or otherwise disposed of.
(d) If the dog impounded has no current registration tag and the identity of the animal’s owner is unknown to the Animal Control Officer or the impounding law enforcement officer, then such impounding officer shall, upon taking any such animal into custody and impounding the same, make a record thereof, with a description of the animal and the date and place taken into custody and the place of impounding, and shall thereupon immediately post a public notice stating that the animal, describing the same with the date and place of taking, has been taken up, and that unless the charges of impounding the same, together with any license fees due and unpaid, are paid within three business days from the date of the notice, that the animal will be disposed of as provided in this code. If within three full business days the owner does not appear to claim the dog, then the dog may be sold, euthanized or otherwise disposed of.
(e) If at any time before the sale or destruction of any dog impounded under the provisions of this article, the owner of an impounded dog does appear and redeem the dog, it shall be turned over to the person claiming it upon payment of any impoundment fees or penalties plus the actual costs of impoundment, and upon compliance with the registration provisions of this article. This division (e) shall not apply to any dog alleged as being vicious under § 2-115 or suspected of rabies under § 2-119 of this code.
(f) The minimum impoundment fee shall be $10.
(g) Any dog impounded may not be released without a current rabies vaccination.
(h) Impoundment hereunder shall not preclude any court from imposing and executing any fine which might otherwise be levied under this article for violation of any of the provisions thereof; nor shall impoundment be a defense in any prosecution commenced hereunder.
(i) The redemption of any dog impounded for a violation of any provision of this article shall be prima facie evidence of the violation of such provision by the person redeeming the dog.
(Ord. 2-208, passed - -)