A. Duty To Impound: The animal control officer, law enforcement official, or other designated official may apprehend any animal found running at large and to impound such animal in the City pound or other suitable place. The animal control officer or other designated official, upon receiving any dog, shall make a complete registry, entering the breed, color and sex of such dog and whether licensed. If licensed, he/she shall enter the name and address of the owner and number of the license.
B. Interference With Impounding Prohibited: In addition to subsection 5-3-2C of this chapter, it shall be unlawful for any person to hinder, delay, interfere with or obstruct the animal control officer or any of his/her assistants while engaging in capturing, securing or taking to the dog pound any dog or dogs required to be impounded, or to break open or in any manner directly or indirectly aid or abet the breaking open any dog pound or vehicle used for collecting or conveying dogs to the dog pound.
C. Record Of Impounded Animals: The City shall designate an official who shall keep a record of any impounded animal, the date of receipt of such animal, the date and manner of its disposal and if redeemed, reclaimed or purchased, the name and address of such person, the amounts of all fees received or collected for or because of the impounding, reclaiming or purchasing thereof, together with the number of any tag and the date of any tag exhibited or issued upon the redemption or sale of such animal.
D. Redemption Of Impounded Animals: Any animal impounded as a licensed or unlicensed dog may be redeemed and taken from such pound by the owner, the owner's agent or any other authorized person, upon exhibiting to the person having charge of said pound, a receipt as provided in section 5-3-3 of this chapter, showing that the license imposed by this chapter has been paid for such dog and upon paying the person in charge of the pound an impounding fee as set by the City Fee Policy for each and every day such dog shall have been impounded or such other amounts as may be set by resolution or policy of the City Council. All impounded animals not redeemed within five (5) days may be euthanized.
E. Relinquishing Lost Or Stray Dogs:
1. It shall be unlawful to harbor or otherwise keep any lost or stray dog licensed to another and kept without owner's knowledge for more than one business day without notifying the City animal control officer. A dog shall be deemed stray if it is not wearing a City license.
2. Upon notification or receipt of a lost dog bearing a current year's license tag, the animal control officer or other authorized person, shall within two (2) business days contact, by telephone or first class mail, the owner of record, at the address indicated on the license form.
3. After notification as set forth in subsection E2 of this section, the owner of an impounded dog shall have five (5) business days to collect the animal and pay all applicable fees for housing and caring for the animal. After the five (5) day period has expired, if no one has claimed it, the dog may be returned to the person who found it if that person desires, or adopted by another person without charge after licensing. Otherwise the animal shall be destroyed in a humane manner.
F. Impound Fees: The owner of any impounded animal must pay, before the animal is released, all applicable impound fees. All impound fees shall be set by the City Council through the City Fee Policy. (Ord. 19-01, 1-3-2019)