In cases where an animal or animals have been seized by the animal control officer or law enforcement officer based upon cruelty, neglect, or abandonment, such animal may be adopted to another owner or humanely euthanized thereby extinguishing all property rights of the existing owner following the procedures as hereinafter provided.
(A) Upon seizure of the animal or animals, the animal control officer shall serve notice upon the existing owner if the identity of said existing owner is known, informing said existing owner of the animal control officer’s intent to have said animal disposed of.
(B) The existing owner shall have five business days to:
(1) Declare in writing and deliver to the animal shelter keeping said animal or animals:
(a) Notice of said existing owner’s intent to maintain ownership of the animal or animals and to object to the adoption or euthanasia thereof; and
(b) Notice that said existing owner shall pay, when due, all impoundment, board, and veterinary costs until such time as the animal or animals shall be released to said existing owner or be adopted or euthanized.
(2) Pay all impoundment, board, and veterinary costs up to the date of the owner’s declaration of intent to maintain his or her ownership of said animal or animals to the animal control shelter.
(C) Upon notification of said existing owner’s intent to maintain ownership of the animal or animals and the objection to the adoption of euthanasia thereof, said existing owner shall continue said payments to the animal control shelter for impoundment, board, and veterinary costs on a weekly basis until such time as the animal or animals shall be released to said existing owner or be adopted or euthanized. If the existing owner of the animal or animals fails to declare the hereinbefore stated intent or fails to make any payment in a timely manner, or if the identity of the existing owner is unknown or notification to the existing owner cannot be made, the animal control officer shall give actual written notice or published notification to the owner by publication once a week for two successive weeks in an official newspaper of the county of intent to transfer ownership of the animal or animals to the animal shelter. The owner shall have ten days following receipt of notification or following the date of final publication to comply with all of the provisions of this chapter or ownership of the animal or animals will be transferred to the animal shelter.
(Ord. 0305-06, passed 5-6-2003)