(A) Any designated animal services employee or law enforcement officer of the Town of Collierville shall have the authority to impound any animal found running at large or abandoned or which is otherwise permitted by its owners to violate the provisions of this chapter.
(B) All reasonable efforts will be used to locate and notify the owner of any impounded animal.
(C) (1) Any impounded animal that has a known owner or some form of identification (i.e., microchip, rabies tag, ID tags, and the like) shall be held for at least five working days at the Collierville Animal Services to allow the owner to reclaim his/her animal. Any unlicensed animal, lacking any form of identification, that is impounded shall be held for at least three working days beginning with the date of seizure. If the impounded animal species is one for which Collierville Animal Services is unable to provide proper housing or environment, all reasonable efforts shall be made to place such animal with a rescue group partner for the applicable hold period. At the expiration of the applicable hold period the impounded animal may be disposed of as follows:
(a) The animal may be assessed for adoptability and, if deemed adoptable, made available for adoption after being properly vaccinated and surgically spayed or neutered;
(b) The animal may be placed with an animal rescue partner; or
(c) If the animal is deemed unadoptable, it will be humanely euthanized.
(2) Nothing in this section shall prevent Collierville Animal Services from humanely euthanizing any impounded animal which has not been reclaimed or redeemed by its owner within the applicable hold period.
(D) The Animal Services Director or Animal Services Shelter Manager may, upon the advice of a licensed veterinarian, authorize euthanasia of any impounded animal before completing its hold period if it is determined that the animal is suffering from infectious or dangerous diseases, or is in misery, or if the animal’s disposition poses a threat to public safety or shelter staff members.
(E) An owner of an impounded animal shall be entitled to regain possession of the animal upon compliance with the vaccination and licensing provisions of this chapter and payment of any applicable fees duly established by the Town of Collierville for impoundment, boarding, vaccination, or other fees related to the animal’s impoundment.
(Ord. 2014-01, passed 5-12-14)
Cross reference:
Rabies vaccine required, § 94.20