(a) Unrestrained dogs and nuisance animals shall be taken by the police or Animal Control Officer and impounded in an animal shelter and there confined in a humane manner.
(b) Impounded dogs and cats shall be kept for not less than forty-eight (48) hours, unless specifically determined otherwise by the Town of Dyer or its Animal Control Officer.
(c) If, by a license tag or other means, the owner of an impounded animal can be identified, the Animal Control Officer shall immediately upon impoundment notify the owner by telephone, certified mail, or in person, of the animal(s) location.
(d) An owner reclaiming an impounded cat shall pay a fee of fifty dollars ($50.00) per animal, if said animal(s) is claimed within the parameter of the first 24 hours. A fee of one hundred fifty dollars ($250.00) shall be imposed thereafter. Any reoccurrence within a 12-month period shall cause a revisit to determine the appropriate fine amount. Any and all medical fees and costs will be added to the total charges deemed payable by said owner(s).
(e) An owner reclaiming an impounded dog shall pay a fee of fifty dollars ($50.00) per animal, if said animal(s) is claimed within the parameter of the first 24 hours. A fee of one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00) shall be imposed thereafter. Any reoccurrence with in a 12-month period shall cause a revisit to determine the appropriate fine amount. Any and all medical fees and costs will be added to the total charges deemed payable by said owner(s).
(f) Any animal not reclaimed by its owner within forty-eight (48) hours shall become the property of the Town of Dyer, and shall be placed for adoption in a suitable home or humanely euthanized, unless said animal is determined to be a threat to the facility, in which case that animal may be humanely euthanized at the discretion of the Animal Control Officer.
(g) In addition to, or in lieu of, impounding an animal found at large, the Animal Control Officer or police officer may issue to the known owner(s) of such animal a notice of ordinance violation. Such notice shall impose upon the owner a penalty of fifty dollars ($50.00) for the first offense, one hundred dollars ($100.00) for the second offense and one hundred dollars ($100.00) for every offense thereafter, to be paid to the Clerk-Treasurer within the time period specified on said notice of ordinance violation. In the event that such penalty is not paid within the time period prescribed, said violation shall be prosecuted in the same manner as all local ordinance violations.
(h) The Animal Control Officer shall review automatically all licenses issued to animal owners against whom three or more ordinance violations have been issued under this article in a twelve (12) month period, and shall determine what action it deems appropriate in such instances.
(i) The Animal Control Officer shall keep complete and accurate records of the care, feeding, veterinary treatment, and disposition of all animals impounded at the shelter.
(j) After a dog or cat has bitten a person or other animal, the following action will be taken:
(1) If the owner of the dog or cat is able to provide documentary evidence confirming the current status of vaccinations (shots), the dog or cat can be confined inside the owner’s residence for a period of ten days, as required by applicable Indiana Code, provided such action is approved by the Animal Control Officer.
(2) If the owner of the dog or cat is unable to provide documentary evidence confirming the current status of vaccinations, the dog or cat shall be quarantined for a period of ten days at an animal hospital or veterinary clinic with the owner paying all costs of confinement. It shall be the sole responsibility of the owner to provide verification of the animal’s vaccinations (shots) to the Animal Control Officer.
(3) It shall be the duty of every physician or other practitioner to report to the Animal Control Officer the names and address(es) of persons treated for bites, inflicted by animals together with such information as necessary to aid with rabies control. It shall be the duty of every licensed veterinarian to report to the Animal Control Officer his or her diagnosis of any animal observed by him or her as a rabies suspect.
(4) Any animal that has three documented unprovoked bite incidents shall be recommended to the Town of Dyer to be deemed “vicious.” Upon written complaint to the Animal Control Board, a determination will be made as to the disposition of said animal. The owner of a suspected vicious animal may voluntarily surrender the animal to the Animal Control Officer for humane disposal at any time prior to a determination being made. The owner will be responsible for any fees incurred during the holding of said animal.
(Ord. No. 95-32, § 7, 12-12-95; Am. Ord. No. 98-04, § 3-7, 2-10-98; Am. Ord. No. 2002-09, 4-16-02; Am. Ord. No. 2008-02, § 7, 4-16-08; Am. Ord. No. 2009-21, 12-16-09)