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(A) Policy declaration. It is the policy of the City of Lawrence that cats, dogs and any and all domestic animals which are impounded and held by the City of Lawrence in the municipal animal shelter or otherwise, if they are not returned to their previous owner or owners, and if reasonably possible in and according to the absolute discretion of the humane officer, should be adopted, sold or given to suitable persons rather than destroyed.
(B) Forms and procedures. The Humane Officer, with and subject to the approval of the Chief of Police and Board of Public Works and Safety, shall prescribe and provide forms and determine and outline specific and detailed procedures for the accomplishment and documentation of the sale and adoption process as authorized and established by this section.
(C) If an animal is sold, the cost shall include the daily maintenance fee provided by § 3-3-1-28; provided, however, that the Humane Officer or Animal Control Officer, in his or her discretion, may waive all or any portion of the fee when the animal is sold. The fees provided by § 3-3-1-28 and to be paid pursuant to § 3-3-1-7 of the municipal code of the City of Lawrence shall be collected and paid, if reasonably possible, but the Humane Officer or Animal Control Officer shall have authority and discretion as provided by this section to waive all or any portion of such fees.
(D) When a wild animal is trapped and turned over to the Animal Control Officer, as soon as is practicable it shall be returned to the wild, except that any wild animal that is sick or injured shall be destroyed by the Animal Control Officer, provided that all reasonable means shall be employed to save and preserve any wild animal that is declared by state or federal law to be a protected or endangered species.
(Am. Ord. 12, 2008, passed 8-4-2008)
Except where permitted by the Indiana General Assembly, it shall be unlawful for any person except the Humane Officer or the Animal Control Officer to hunt, trap, catch or kill any wild animal within the City; provided, that this section shall not prevent any person from trapping or killing on his or her own property any rats or other vermin or any wild animals which are found to be injuring or destroying that person’s property.
(Am. Ord. 25, 2016, passed 11-16-2016) Penalty, see § 3-3-1-27
(A) It shall be unlawful for any person to dispose of or throw away any carcass, dead animal, animal blood or parts of any carcass upon any street, alley or public place or upon any lot within the City.
(B) Any person finding a dead animal located in or on any public street or alley, public park or other public property within the City may notify the Street Commissioner or the Animal Control Officer of the death and location of the animal. The Street Commissioner or the Animal Control Officer shall thereafter provide for the removal and disposal of the dead animal.
Penalty, see § 3-3-1-27
(A) It shall be unlawful for any person to own or harbor any dog or cat within the corporate limits of the City of Lawrence without first paying a license fee in the amount prescribed as follows:
(1) A $3 license fee for each neutered male dog or cat and spayed female dog or cat; and
(2) A $5 license fee for each non-neutered male dog or cat and unspayed female dog or cat.
(B) Proof of a rabies vaccination shall be presented at the time the license fee is paid as provided herein.
(C) The license fee shall be collected by the City Controller or by the City Police Department at the municipal building or by the Animal Control Officer at the animal shelter when an animal is claimed.
(D) The receipt for the license fee as provided herein shall constitute a license for the keeping or harboring of the animal.
(E) Each owner of a dog or cat shall apply for a license when the dog or cat is six months of age or within 30 days after obtaining the dog or cat or bringing the dog or cat into the city, whichever is later, and shall apply for a renewal of the license during the month in which the current license expires. Each dog or cat license shall expire in the year following the year in which the license was issued on the earlier of either:
(1) The last day of the month indicated on the licensed dog’s or cat’s rabies vaccination certificate which was issued in the same year as the license; or
(2) The last day of the month in which the license was issued.
(F) Funds collected by the Police Department or by the Animal Control Officer shall be paid to the City Controller on a daily basis.
It shall be unlawful to maintain or harbor within the City a dog or cat over six months of age unless the animal has been vaccinated by a licensed veterinarian or veterinary surgeon with anti-rabies vaccine. The initial vaccination shall occur prior to the animal reaching six months old as recommended by a licensed veterinarian and the animal’s vaccinations shall be kept current by a licensed veterinarian using either the yearly vaccine of the three-year vaccine as deemed necessary for the animal’s health and the public’s well being.
(Am. Ord. 5, 2011, passed 5-2-2011) Penalty, see § 3-3-1-27
It shall be unlawful to keep animals within the corporate limits of Lawrence in numbers and under conditions of confinement or otherwise so that the resulting odors, noise, appearance of the premises or unsanitary conditions resulting thereof cause an unsightly and deteriorating appearance of the premises or result in an offensive odor or condition detrimental to the comfort and safety of those living in the neighborhood.
(A) For the purpose of this chapter, the following definition shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
CRUELTY. Any or all of the following kinds of treatment accorded to any living animal found within the corporate limits of the City of Lawrence:
(a) Any poisoning, trapping or killing of an animal shall be unlawful, provided that this section shall not be construed to prevent any person from using reasonable methods of trapping, killing or poisoning rats or other vermin or any other wild animal found to be injuring or destroying the owner’s or resident’s property or from utilizing live traps pursuant to § 3-3-1-22;
(b) To overdrive, overwork or work any animal when it is unfit for labor or sport;
(c) To abuse or allow to be abused any animal by beating it unreasonably, unnecessarily or to commit other inhumane acts of willful and knowing abuse on the body of an animal by burning, castrating, maiming, shooting, mutilating or otherwise disfiguring the animal;
(d) To deprive or neglect to perform any act necessary to the well-being and sustenance of the animal, failure of which causes or permits unnecessary pain and suffering to the animal. The necessary acts are minimally construed to mean that each owner or custodian of any animal shall have a duty of care to provide basic and adequate amounts of food, water, shelter and protection from weather and to avoid overcrowding of animals in confined spaces; and/or
(e) To abandon any animal within the corporate limits of the city.
(B) Notwithstanding the penalties provided in § 3-3-1-27, the penalty for violation of this section shall be a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $2,500.
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