The County Animal Shelter shall be responsible for housing all stray, unwanted or impounded animals from within the County.
(a) The Animal Control Officer shall deliver all animals taken into custody, any dog running at large, or any dog which has not been vaccinated or licensed as required by this chapter, to the Animal Shelter and may issue a summons against the owner or custodian of such animal for a violation of Section 612.13. Any animal confined pursuant to this section shall be kept for a period of not less than five working days, such period to commence on the day immediately following the day the dog is initially confined in the Animal Shelter, unless sooner claimed by the rightful owner thereof. The Department shall make a reasonable effort to ascertain whether the animal has a collar, tag, license, tattoo, or other form of identification. If such identification is found on the animal, the animal shall be held for an additional five days, unless sooner claimed by the rightful owner. If the rightful owner of the animal can be readily identified, the operator or custodian of the shelter shall make a reasonable effort to notify the owner of the animal’s confinement within the next 48 hours following its confinement.
(b) An animal impounded and not rabid or suspected of being rabid may be claimed by its owner or custodian within the appropriate holding period after the impoundment upon:
(1) Presentation of proof of ownership, and personal identification.
(2) Presentation of a current County dog license.
(3) Payment of an impoundment fee or fees in accordance with the fee schedule.
(4) Payment of boarding fees in accordance with the fee schedule.
(5) Payment of veterinary expense, if any.
(6) Presentation of a valid rabies certificate for animals other than dogs for which a vaccine is approved by the United States Department of Agriculture.
If the documents required in subsections (b)(2) and (6) of this section are not presented at the time of the animal's redemption the owner shall obtain the required documents for the animal within two weeks of redemption and provide proof of such to the Department. Failure to provide proof that the required documents have been obtained will result in the issuance of a summons.
(c) If an animal impounded pursuant to this section has not been claimed upon expiration of the appropriate holding period, it shall be deemed abandoned and become the property of the Loudoun County Animal Shelter. The owner or custodian of any such animal, who has been notified by the Department of the animal's impoundment, shall be responsible for all applicable fees, which fees shall be due and payable within ten days of the date upon which the animal becomes the property of the County.
(d) An owner or custodian shall make payment of an impoundment fee in accordance with the fee schedule should an Animal Control Officer pick up and impound an owned animal at the request of the owner.
(e) Any animal which becomes the property of the Animal Shelter pursuant to subsection (c) of this section may be (i) adopted by a resident of the County who will pay the required adoption fee and if adopting a dog, the dog license fees, if any, on such animal, provided that such resident has read and signed a statement specifying that he has never been convicted of animal cruelty, neglect or abandonment, (ii) adopted by a resident of an adjacent political subdivision of the Commonwealth who will pay the required adoption fees, provided that such resident has read and signed a statement specifying that he has never been convicted of animal cruelty, neglect or abandonment, (iii) transferred to any releasing agency within the Commonwealth, provided that each releasing agency obtains a signed statement from each of its directors, operators, staff, or animal caregivers specifying that each individual has never been convicted of animal cruelty, neglect, or abandonment and updates such statements as changes occur, (iv) adopted by any person provided that such person has read and signed a statement specifying that he or she has never been convicted of animal cruelty, neglect or abandonment; however no animal may be adopted by any person who is not a resident of the County or an adjacent political subdivision unless the animal is first sterilized, which the Animal Shelter may require be done at the expense of the person adopting the animal, or (v) humanely euthanized. Nothing contained in this subsection shall prohibit the destruction of a critically injured or critically ill animal for humane purposes.
(f) A person adopting a dog or cat that is over four months old from the Animal Shelter must obtain for the adopted animal a rabies certificate. A resident of the County adopting a dog over four months old must also obtain a County dog license. These requirements, if applicable, must be obtained within two weeks of adoption and proof of such provided to the Department. Failure to do so may result in the issuance of a summons.
(g) Owners or custodians of animals ordered quarantined by the Health Department shall be responsible for payment of an impoundment fee and the daily board, in accordance with the Department fee schedule.
(Ord. 87-11. Passed 9-21-87; Ord. 90-03. Passed 3-20-90; Ord. 00-14. Passed 12-18-00; Ord. 02-19. Passed 12-3-02; Ord. 03-12. Passed 9-15-03; Ord. 04-14. Passed 12-14-04; Ord. 17-04. Passed 2-15-17; Ord. 17-09. Passed 10-3-17; Ord. 19-14. Passed 9-11-19.)