(a) Animals may be impounded by the director under any of the following circumstances:
(1) An animal is at large;
(2) An animal is reasonably suspected of having inflicted bodily harm on any human being or animal, or poses a threat to public safety or constitutes a public nuisance;
(3) A dog, cat or domestic ferret does not have a valid current rabies vaccination;
(4) A miniature swine does not have valid, current vaccinations for erysipelas, parvo virus and leptospirosis;
(5) The animal is a prohibited animal;
(6) An animal is not cared for in violation of § 6-65;
(7) An animal has rabies or symptoms thereof, or is an animal that a person could reasonably suspect as having rabies, or that bites, scratches or otherwise creates a condition which may have exposed or transmitted the rabies virus to any human being or animal;
(8) An animal is not kept in conformity with this chapter or state law; or
(9) A cat is roaming beyond the boundaries of the premises of the person having charge, care or ownership of the cat. A feral cat that is otherwise in the city's trap, neuter and return program shall not be subject to capture by the city merely for being at large.
(b) In order to abate the nuisance of unrestrained and unwanted animals, the director shall be the designated caretaker of an animal at the time the director:
(1) Takes custody of an impounded animal, or
(2) Identifies an unrestrained animal as a nuisance.
(c) Immediately upon intake, the director, as the designated caretaker, is authorized to provide each impounded animal with appropriate immunizations and parasite treatment and to implant a microchip for permanent identification. A licensed veterinarian or a person under the veterinarian's supervision shall perform any procedure or treatment that the veterinarian recommends or determines is appropriate.
(d) If, by a microchip, tag or other means, the owner of an impounded animal can be identified, the director shall, as soon as practicable after impoundment, notify the owner, if reasonably possible, that if the impounded animal is not redeemed within 96 hours after impoundment, disposition of the impounded animal shall occur in accordance with this chapter.
(Ord. 23295-06-2018, § 1, passed 6-26-2018, eff. 7-6-2018)