(1) A dog or animal displaying symptoms of being rabid may be seized at any place or time and will be confined in the city impounding facility at the expense of the owner, until found to be free from rabies.
(2) If a dog or other animal appears to be diseased, vicious, dangerous, rabid or has been exposed to rabies, and the dog or other animal cannot be impounded without serious risk of personal injury, the dog or other animal may be killed, if reasonably necessary for the safety of a person or persons.
(3) When a dog or other animal has bitten a person and the skin has been broken or the services of a doctor are required, the owner or custodian of the biting animal and the person bitten or his or her parent or guardian must report the incident to the Lino Lakes Police Department within 24 hours of the bite. The dog or other animal must be confined for a period of not less than ten days in a veterinary hospital or on the owner's premises, as determined by the authorized city personnel. These personnel may refuse to permit confinement on the owner's premises if the animal has previously been found repeatedly at large or if the animal does not have a currently effective rabies inoculation. If confinement on the owner's premises is permitted, the animal may not be allowed off the premises or in contact with people or other animals during the confinement period, except for medical purposes. If the owner fails to comply with these restrictions, authorized city personnel may enter onto the property, seize the animal and remove it to a veterinary hospital. The owner is responsible for all costs of confinement incurred under this section. As a condition of releasing a confined animal, authorized city personnel may require that the animal's owner take the animal for an examination by a veterinarian and may require the owner to follow any recommendations from the veterinarian regarding the animal's training or behavior. The authorized personnel must notify the owner of these requirements in writing. Failure to comply with a requirement is a violation of this code, punishable as a misdemeanor and/or as a civil violation.
(Ord. 03-08, passed 5-27-2008)