(A) Dogs and cats license requirements.
(1) Purchase required: No dog or cat shall be permitted to be or remain in the city without being licensed as herein provided.
(2) Annual registration; tag: Every owner of or person who keeps or harbors a dog or cat within the limits of the city shall report to the clerk or designee annually, within 30 days after May 1 each year, his/her name and address, and shall give the name, breed, month of birth, color and sex of each and every dog or cat owned, kept and harbored by such person and shall pay such license fee as required in division (C)(1) of this section for male or female dogs or cats owned, kept or harbored, and shall cause such dogs or cats to be registered in the Office of the City Clerk. The City Clerk or her designee shall furnish the person paying the license therefor with the metal tag or check as hereinafter provided.
(3) Rabies certificate: Every owner or person who harbors or keeps a dog or cat within the limits of the city shall, before securing registration tags, exhibit to the Clerk or her designee a current Henry County rabies certificate.
(4) Penalty: Any person owning a dog or cat shall purchase a license as herein provided or be subject to penalty as provided in division (C)(3)(a) of this section.
(B) License tags, collar required.
(1) Registry: The City Clerk or her designee shall keep a complete registry in a book kept for that purpose, of all licensed dogs or cats describing the same by name, breed, color and sex, and shall also enter the name and address of the owner or keeper as given, and the number of the city license, tag or check.
(2) Tags provided by city: The City Clerk or her designee shall also provide each and every year, such number of metal tags or checks as may be necessary, having stamped thereon the year for which the license is issued, and also the number of the tag or check, and it shall be the duty of the City Clerk or designee to deliver one of such tags or check numbered to correspond with the registry of the animal, to the person having paid the license tax upon any such animal. The owner of each animal being of the age of four months or over must have a tag for such animal.
(3) Collar required: Every dog or cat over the age of four months shall be provided by its owner or keeper with a collar to which shall be securely attached and kept the license registration tag furnished by the City Clerk or animal control officer as hereinabove provided.
(4) Removal of collars, tags or leashes: No person, other than, a police officer, or an owner shall remove the collar, inoculation tag or leash from any dog or cat within the city without the consent of the owner or keeper of the dog or cat. Any such removal shall subject the dog or cat to impoundment.
(5) Penalty: Anyone found guilty of violating this section shall be subject to penalty as provided in division (C)(3)(a) of this section.
(C) Fees.
(1) License fee: An annual license fee for dogs and cats shall be established by the City Council as may be necessary. The fee for each dog or cat is set at $5 per year.
(2) Violation fees:
(a) Failure to license or display license: The Police Officer shall issue to the owner or keeper of any unlicensed dog or cat or the owner of any dog or cat failing to display the license tag a notice of ordinance violation.
(b) Notice of ordinance violation: A person receiving a notice of ordinance violation may, at his/her discretion, make payment to the Office of City Clerk or her designee within seven working days a sum established by the administrative fee schedule in division (C)(3) of this section.
(c) Failure to comply: In the event no payment is received within the time period prescribed by the animal control officer, a formal municipal ordinance violation complaint shall be initiated in the Circuit Court.
(3) Administrative fee schedule: The City Clerk or her designee is authorized to accept in full satisfaction of any notice of ordinance violation the payment of the following administrative fees:
(a) The penalty for violating this section shall be a fine of $25 for the first offense and a fine of $50 for each offense thereafter.
(b) Proof of payment of fees imposed by division (C)(3)(a) of this section.
(Ord. 4007, passed 6-15-20)