(A) County Animal Control Officers shall pick up and impound or quarantine any animal running at large.
(B) Any animal impounded by the county, which was picked up wearing identification tags and/or bearing a tattoo, shall be taken to the county shelter or other designated facility, and held for a minimum of ten working days.
(1) Animal Control shall attempt to notify the owner at his or her last known address, by telephone or certified mail, that they have the animal in their possession.
(2) Within ten working days from the date he or she was notified, the owner must notify the Animal Control Officer that he or she will pick up his or her animal.
(3) If the owner does not pick up the animal within ten working days of notification by the Animal Control Officer, the animal shall become the property of the county animal shelter.
(C) Any animal impounded by the county that is picked up with no identification shall be detained for redemption by its owner for a period of five working days.
(1) If the animal is not redeemed by its owner in that period, the animal, if determined by the Animal Control Officer to be adoptable, may be picked up by a local humane society and transferred to its facility for adoption through its spay/neuter program.
(2) The Animal Control Officer shall be prohibited from placing for adoption animals he or she has impounded.
(D) Any owner wishing to have his or her animal released from impoundment shall be responsible for payment of a rabies inoculation fee, if needed, and a county pound fee, as set from time to time.
(1) It shall be incumbent upon the owner of an impounded animal to produce or demonstrate to personnel sufficient proof of current and valid inoculation for such animal prior to its release from impoundment.
(2) Alternatively, Animal Control personnel may arrange for the inoculation of such animal, at the owner’s expense, prior to releasing the animal.
(E) The county shall not be held liable for accidents, disease or treatment of animals while confined in the county pound, and shall be released of all responsibilities to the new owner or former owner when a pet is adopted or disposed of humanely, as specified in this section.
(Ord. 2004-11, passed 6-21-04; Am. Ord. 2009-03, passed 4-13-09)