(a) The Mayor may designate an individual or individuals as an Animal Control Officer or Animal Control Officers of the City and shall require that any individual or individuals so designated shall provide an appropriate bond to secure the faithful discharge of his or her duties with the cost thereof to be defrayed out of the General Fund of the City and that any such individual or individuals shall possess the qualifications and ability, and be afforded the training necessary for the same to faithfully and adequately discharge the duties of such position. The Animal Control Officer shall be required to obtain the training and licensing as set forth in the “Manual of the Humane Association Guidelines”. The fact that any individual so designated holds an office or position with another governmental agency or a nonprofit private corporation shall not disqualify him or her from being so appointed or so designated, or from serving in such capacity. (Ord. 60, 2004. Passed 10-18-04.)
(b) Any dog found running at large, at the discretion of an Animal Control Officer, or any police officer, may be impounded and held at the Columbiana County Dog Pound. Immediately after such dog is impounded, the Animal Control Officer or police officer shall make every reasonable effort to ascertain the identity and whereabouts of the owner thereof, and, if such information may be ascertained through reasonable effort, to notify the owner thereof, and to inform such owner of the conditions whereby custody of the animal may be regained. All unlicensed dogs so impounded which remain unclaimed by the owners thereof for a period of three days shall be and become the property of the City and forthwith thereafter shall be placed for adoption in a suitable home, or humanely destroyed, and any and all costs incident to either procedure shall be charged against the owner of such dog, if the identity of the owner is ascertained thereafter with reasonable certainty. Licensed dogs so impounded and not redeemed by the owner thereof within a period of fourteen days after the date of notice to the record owner thereof at the address provided by a part of the licensing or registration procedure shall also be and become the property of the City and forthwith thereafter shall be placed for adoption in a suitable home, or humanely destroyed, and any and all costs incident to either procedure shall be charged against the record owner of the dog. No animal belonging to the City shall be eligible for adoption unless and until such animal has been adequately immunized against infectious diseases and spayed or neutered. The cost of such immunization and spaying or neutering shall be a part of the costs incident to adoption hereunder. In the event any dog is placed for adoption, and the City is unable through reasonable efforts to ascertain the identity of whereabouts of the owner thereof, or to collect therefrom the costs incident to the adoption or such animal, the costs shall be charged against, and become the obligation of the party who adopts the dog.
(c) When a dog or cat is found running at large, and the identity of its owner is verified, any Animal Control Officer or police officer in lieu of impounding such animal may exercise the option of serving the owner with a summons demanding the appearance of the owner before the East Liverpool Municipal Court under the provisions of Section 505.02.
(d) An owner reclaiming a dog impounded under this chapter shall pay to the City, prior to the release of such dog, an impound fee of twenty-five dollars ($25.00), together with any and all reasonable expenses related to the housing, feeding and appropriate veterinary treatment and care thereof during the period of the impoundment of such dog and the costs of the adequate and appropriate immunization of such animal as may be reasonably required. Such fees and charges shall be in addition to any and all pickup, impoundment and licensing fees, if any, charged or imposed by Columbiana County or any agency thereof.
(e) No dog impounded under this chapter shall be released or adopted pursuant thereto absent proof that the animal, if a dog, has been properly licensed pursuant to Ohio R.C. Chapter 955.
(f) Animal Control Officers shall be responsible to police and shall enforce the provisions of this chapter, and, with regard thereto, they shall have such police powers and authority as are conferred upon peace or law enforcement officers of the City; and
(g) In the event that an animal is destroyed or adopted pursuant to the terms of this chapter, and the identity of the owner thereof is ascertained thereafter with reasonable certainty, such owner shall be subject to the appropriate penalties of this chapter, and shall be fully liable to any and all expenses incident to the housing, feeding, veterinary care and treatment, and immunization related to the keeping, and the adoption or destruction thereof.
(Ord. 27, 1999. Passed 5-17-99.)