(A) When an owner of an animal has been notified by any person injured or by someone on the injured person’s behalf that the owner’s animal has injured that person or otherwise has knowledge of the injury, or when any person owning an animal has been notified by an owner of any another animal which has been bitten or attacked by the animal, the owner shall immediately place the attacking animal under the care and observation of the animal control officer or a licensed veterinarian within the city for a period of not less than ten days, with the expense thereof to be borne by the owner of the attacking animal. The failure of the owner to submit the animal within 24 hours after notice of the injury, bite or attack to the animal control officer or a veterinarian within the city constitutes a violation of this section. At the expiration of the period of required observation, it shall be lawful for the animal control officer to destroy any animal whose owner fails to pay all such expenses incident to the impounding for observation and any required treatment.
(B) The animal control officer may also take into custody and impound for observation any animal that has injured, bitten or attacked any person, any animal of a vicious, dangerous, cross or ferocious disposition or any animal that habitually manifests a disposition to bite or endanger the public or other animals. Should any animal so held for observation be examined by a licensed veterinarian and be found by the veterinarian to be suffering from an injury or other infectious disease from which, in the judgment of the veterinarian, recovery is doubtful, or be found to be of such a nature as to endanger the public or other animals generally, the animal control officer shall cause the animal to be destroyed in a humane manner.
(Prior Code, § 90.126) (Ord. 97-16, passed 8-4-1997) Penalty, see § 90.999