(A) Domestic animals found running at large shall be taken up by the agents of the County Animal Control/Shelter and impounded in the shelter designated as the County Animal Control/Shelter, or an alternate site approved by the County Animal Control/Shelter. Said animal shall be confined in a humane manner for a period of not less than three days, and if not claimed by the owners thereafter shall become the property of the County Animal Control/Shelter, and be disposed of in a humane manner or adopted at the discretion of the said authority, except as hereinafter provided in certain cases.
(B) This section refers to any animal(s) picked up by the Animal Control Officers, or brought to the County Animal Control/Shelter by citizens.
(C) Persons surrendering animal(s) will be given a surrender form concerning minimum holding periods, adoptions, and euthanasia, which must be signed before the animal is accepted by the County Animal Control/Shelter employees.
(D) Immediately upon impoundment of any animal, the agents of the County Animal Control/Shelter shall make reasonable effort to notify the owner (if an owner is known) of the conditions whereby he or she may regain custody of such animal(s).
(E) Animals picked up or brought to the County Animal Control/Shelter whose ownership is unknown shall be held in the County Animal Control/Shelter for a minimum of three working days (72 hours), unless sick (showing signs of parvo, distemper, blood in stool, listlessness, and the like), or injured.
(F) Animals picked up or brought to the County Animal Control/Shelter whose ownership is known must be held in the County Animal Control/Shelter until a specific situation, or for a period, as specified in divisions (F)(1) and (F)(2) below, arises.
(1) In the case of surrendered animals:
(a) The owner signs a release form requesting that the animal be euthanized in the best interest of the animal, and/or to protect the other animals in the County Animal Control/Shelter from disease (the County Animal Control/Shelter employees have the right to refuse to euthanize the animal if they determine the animal is adoptable);
(b) The animal is adopted, or it has been held for at least 24 hours;
(c) An owner who has surrendered his or her animal, but has not signed the statement for the animal to be euthanized, may change his or her mind, but the animal must be redeemed only by the adoption process;
(d) Owner-surrendered animals can be placed on hold for adoption upon the time of surrender; and/or
(e) The owner bringing in an animal that cannot be adopted will be advised that the animal will be euthanized as soon as possible (for example, biter, sick, wild, or livestock-killing animals are not adoptable).
(2) In the case of animals picked up at large:
(a) The owner redeems the animal in accordance to § 91.06(A);
(b) The court orders disposition of the animal;
(c) Upon expiration of at least three working days (72 hours) after the owner of an animal that is not properly tagged or microchipped has been notified, and the owner refuses to reclaim the animal, then the animal becomes property of the County Animal Control/Shelter;
(d) Animals properly tagged and microchipped will be held until the owner properly reclaims or surrenders the animal, or until disposal is ordered by the court. If an owner refuses to reclaim the animal within five days after notification has been made, unless there is pending legal action, the animal becomes property of the County Animal Control/Shelter; and/or
(e) If the County Animal Control/Shelter has made a reasonable effort to notify the owner of a tagged and microchipped animal and have been unsuccessful, the animal becomes the property of the County Animal Control/Shelter after seven days.
(G) When dogs are found running at large, and their ownership is known to the agents of the County Animal Control/Shelter, such dogs need not be impounded, however the agent may, at his or her discretion, cite the owner of the dogs to appear in court to answer to charges of violation of this chapter.
(H) There is no cat leash law. Cats will not be picked up for running at large. However, the County Animal Control/Shelter can pick up cats that are reported to be stray, if contained. In the case of owned cats running at large, the complainant has a legal right to utilize a humane trap for the purpose of containing the animal to bring to the County Animal Control/Shelter.
(I) The owner shall be entitled to resume possession of any animal impounded, except as hereinafter provided, upon payment of impoundment fees set forth herein in § 91.06(A).
(J) Any stray animal impounded under the provisions of this chapter, and not reclaimed by its owner within three days, becomes the property of the County Animal Control/Shelter.
(Ord. 2000-30, passed 12-26-2000)