(A) All dogs or cats taken into custody by police, animal control officers or other empowered officials, as hereinabove provided, shall be impounded, as provided in division (B) below.
(B) If the dog or cat is found on or off the premises of its owner, but is unlicensed or at large, the police officers, animal control officers or other empowered officials may, in their discretion, not impound the dog or cat, but, in lieu thereof, issue a citation to the owner for owning an unlicensed dog or cat or permitting the dog or cat to run at large. Citation can be city or state.
(C) All dogs or cats impounded shall be handled and/or disposed of by the County Animal Shelter, as provided by the regulations of that agency, by state law or by county regulations, except that no dog or cat impounded by the police, animal control officers or other empowered officials of the city shall be released to its owner without written authority from the Police Department or other empowered officials of the city.
(D) On written complaint of any person that a dog or cat is rabid or that a dog or cat has bitten or attacked a person, the dog or cat shall be seized and impounded forthwith. The district court shall hold a hearing on the written complaint and if the court shall determine, in its sound discretion, that the aforementioned dog or cat is rabid or has, in fact, attacked a person, then and in that event, the Judge may order the dog or cat to be destroyed and examined by a competent scientist or veterinarian or impounded for observation for a designated period of time, or make any other reasonable order concerning the dog or cat.
(E) Any and all expenses incurred by the city in keeping and housing of any dog or cat after being so seized and impounded shall be chargeable to the owner or keeper of the dog or cat.
(`96 Code, § 90.07) (Ord. 1995-17, passed 11-9-1995)