A. License And Registration Required: All dogs over the age of six (6) months kept, harbored, or maintained by their owners in the city shall be licensed and registered with the city.
B. Application For License: Dog licenses shall be issued by the city clerk upon payment of the license fee. The owner shall state, at the time application is made for the license and upon forms provided for such purpose, his or her name and address and the name, breed, color, and sex of each dog owned or kept by him or her. No license shall be granted for a dog that does not have proper certification of valid and current vaccination against distemper and rabies, as provided in this section 6-4-3. Any veterinarian who vaccinates a dog to be licensed in the city shall complete a certificate of vaccination. One copy shall be issued to the dog owner for affixing to the license application.
C. License Fee: It shall be the duty of each owner of a dog subject to this section to pay to the city clerk the license fee as imposed by the city council under the city fee schedule.
D. Tags:
1. Upon payment of the license fee, the city clerk shall issue to the owner a license certificate and metallic tag for each dog licensed. The tag shall have stamped on it the year for which it is issued and the number corresponding with the number on the certificate.
2. 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.
3. If a dog tag is lost or destroyed, a duplicate shall be issued by the city clerk upon payment of the duplicate tag fee.
4. Dog tags shall not be transferable from one dog to another, and no refunds shall be made on any dog license fee or tag because of the death of a dog or the owner leaving the city before the expiration of the license period.
E. Exemptions: The licensing provisions of this section shall not apply to:
1. Dogs whose owners are nonresidents temporarily within the city;
2. Dogs brought into the city for the purpose of participating in any dog show;
3. "Seeing eye" dogs properly trained to assist blind persons for the purpose of aiding them in going from place to place when the dog is actually being used for that purpose;
4. Dogs properly trained to assist hearing impaired persons for the purpose of aiding them, when the dog is actually being used for that purpose; and
5. Any dog used in law enforcement or that is under the ownership and control of law enforcement. (Ord. 24, 6-26-2008)
6. Dogs properly trained to assist persons with special needs, e.g., dogs trained to sense a person about to experience a seizure. (2011 Code)
F. Use Of Funds: The funds received by the city clerk from all dog licenses and metallic tags fees shall first be used to defray any costs incidental to the enforcement of this section; including, but not restricted to, the costs of licenses, metallic tags, and impounding and maintenance of the dogs.
G. Application To Cats: Except as part of a council approved trap, neuter and return program, cats shall be included as controlled by this section insofar as running at large, pick up, impounding, boarding, licensing and proof of antirabies vaccine are concerned. All other provisions of this section shall also apply to cats unless otherwise provided. (Ord. 24, 6-26-2008)