(a) Except for guide, leader or listener dogs, or dogs in training to become guide, leader or listener dogs, registered under Ohio R.C. 955.011, and dogs kept by an institution or organization for teaching or research purposes under Ohio R.C. 955.16, no person shall own, keep or harbor a dog more than three months of age without annually registering such dog with the County Auditor. No owner of a dog, except a dog constantly confined to a registered kennel, shall fail to require the dog to wear, at all times, a valid tag issued in connection with a certificate of registration. Failure of any dog at any time to wear a valid registration tag shall be prima-facie evidence of lack of registration and subject such dog to impounding and disposition as provided by Ohio R.C. 955.16.
(Adopting Ordinance)
(b) No owner, keeper or harborer of any cat more than three months of age shall, on or after the first day of the preceding December, but before the twentieth day of January, fail to register his or her cat with the City.
(1) Registration must be made by the twentieth day of January every three years or a penalty in the same amount as the fee for the registration will be assessed to the owner, harborer or keeper.
(2) Fees for registration shall be as follows: For each spayed or neutered cat, six dollars ($6.00); for each unaltered cat eight dollars ($8.00). Registration shall state the age, sex, color, length of hair and breed, if known, of the cat, and the name, address and telephone number of the owner. If the owner furnishes, at the time of registration, either a certificate from a licensed veterinarian verifying that the cat should not be spayed or neutered because of its age or medical condition, or that the cat has been spayed or neutered, then the higher fee is not required.
(3) Owners shall be issued a metal tag for each cat registered.
(4) Veterinarians licensed and doing business in the City are hereby authorized to be vendors of the license tags and may charge an additional fee, not to exceed fifty cents ($.50), to defray administrative costs.
(5) Every cat, except those being shown at an organized cat show, shall at all times wear a valid tag. Failure at any time to wear such tag shall be prima-facie evidence of lack of registration.
(Ord. 145-1994. Passed 6-6-94.)
(c) Whoever violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the third degree. A separate offense shall be deemed committed each day during or on which a violation occurs or continues. Whoever violates this section may execute a waiver and pay the Police Department the sum of fifty dollars ($50.00), if paid within seventy-two hours after the violation. Whoever fails to pay said sum within the seventy-two hour waiver period shall be bound over to the Municipal Court, and if found guilty, shall be subject to the penalty provided in Section 599.02. A chronic or repeat offender under this section shall not be permitted to execute a waiver, shall be bound over to the Municipal Court, and shall be subject to the penalty provided in Section 599.02. A chronic or repeat offender is any person who has been cited at least three times during the previous 365 days (one year) for violations of this section.
(Ord. 62-2003. Passed 3-17-03.)