(A) All dogs four months of age or older, owned, kept, harbored or maintained in the city shall be licensed and registered with the county.
(B) (1) Licenses shall be issued by the county upon submittal of applications and payment of the following for each animal. The fees for these licenses shall be the current fee required to obtain a county license, as specifically stated in the county code of ordinances.
(2) Payment of these license fees shall be made to the Kenton County Animal Control, 1020 Mary Laidley Drive, Covington, KY 41017.
(C) The owner shall state at the time the application is made for the license upon forms provided for such purpose by the county, the owner’s name and address and the name, breed, color and sex of each dog owned or kept by him or her and proof of rabies vaccination.
(D) Upon receipt of the properly-executed application and payment of the license fee, the county shall issue to the owner a license certificate and a metallic tag for each dog so licensed. The tag shall have stamped thereon the year for which it was issued and the number corresponding with the number on the certificate. A separate tag will be issued for vicious dogs.
(E) Every owner shall be required to provide each dog with a collar to which the license tag must be affixed and shall see that the collar and tag are constantly worn on the dog.
(F) In case a dog tag is lost, stolen or destroyed, a duplicate or substitute tag will be issued by the county upon presentation of the receipt or registration showing payment of the license fee for the current year and the payment of the requisite fee charged for the duplicate or substitute tag, if any.
(G) Dog tags shall not be transferable from one dog to another and no refunds shall be made on any dog license fee because of death of the dog or the owner’s leaving the city before the expiration of the license period.
(H) If there is a change of owners of a dog during the license period, the new owner may have the current registration transferred to his or her name upon payment of the requisite transfer fee.
(I) The registration and license period provided for herein shall be July 1 of one year to June 30 of the following year, and all dogs shall be licensed and registered as provided herein on or before July 1 of each year.
(J) The provisions of this section shall not apply to dogs brought into the city on a temporary basis for show, trial, hunting or breeding purposes, if they remain in the city for less than 90 days, nor to “seeing eye” dogs or service animals properly trained to assist blind or disabled individuals when the dogs are actually being used by blind or disabled individuals for the purpose of aiding them in going from place to place.
(K) All dogs which are brought into the city, except as provided in division (J) above, shall be registered and licensed as herein provided if said animals remain in the city for more than 24 hours.
(L) Any dog not bearing a license tag, as herein required, shall prima facie evidence that the dog is unlicensed and unregistered, and in any proceeding under this subchapter, the burden of proof of the fact that a dog has been licensed and registered shall be on the owner of the dog.
(1984 Code, § 90.51) (Ord. O-50-82, passed 8-17-1982; Ord. O-19-86, passed 4-1-1986; Ord. O-47-94, passed 12-13-1994; Ord. O-33-03, passed 6-24-2003; Ord. O-49-03, passed 8-19-2003; Ord. O-18-05, passed 4-26-2005; Ord. O-4-12, passed 3-20-2012) Penalty, see § 90.99