(A) Any law enforcement agency or Fire Department who keeps, harbors or boards a trained police dog or fire dog within the municipality shall confine the dog within an enclosure as defined in this chapter and shall keep the Administrator or animal control warden informed of the address where the dog is stationed. At all times when a police dog or fire dog is released from an enclosure, he or she shall be restrained on a leash and under the direct control of the police or fire trainer or handler, or under supervision of the police or fire trainer or handler, or within a police or fire vehicle. The head of the law enforcement agency shall be held responsible for the actions of the trainer’s or handler’s dogs; however, police and fire agencies and their trainers or handlers are exempt from all fines or fees for violations of this chapter.
(B) When a person has been bitten by a police or fire dog, the dog may continue to perform its duties for the police or fire trainer or handler, or their agencies, and any period of observation required by the Administrator or animal control warden may be fulfilled under the supervision of the police or fire trainer or handler. A police or fire dog found running at large and not under the supervision of a police or fire trainer or handler shall be returned immediately to the police or fire agency.
(C) Teasing/striking/tampering with police/fire dog is prohibited. It shall be unlawful for any person to willfully and maliciously taunt, torment, tease, beat, strike or administer or subject any desensitizing drugs, chemicals or substance to any dog used by a fire or police officer in the performance of his or her functions or duties, or when placed in an enclosure off duty; or to interfere or meddle with any dog used by a fire or law enforcement department or agency or any handler thereof in the performance of the functions or duties of the department or agency.
(D) Injuring or killing police/fire dogs is prohibited. It shall be unlawful for any person to willfully or maliciously, torture, mutilate, injure, disable, poison or kill any dog used by a Police or Fire Department or agency in the performance of the functions or duties of that department or when placed in an enclosure off duty. However, a police officer or licensed veterinarian may perform a humane termination of the dog in an emergency situation in which delay would cause the dog undue suffering and pain.
(1986 Code, § 6.16.040) (Ord. 1514, passed - -1999) Penalty, see § 90.999