(A) As used in this section, the term
DOMESTIC ANIMALS includes feline/cats.
(B) (1) Any free-roaming, stray or abandoned cats shall be captured in a humane live trap as provided by the city’s Animal Control Officer.
(2) Said officer is the only person authorized to pick-up trap and transport animals.
(C) Said trap will be placed only on the property of the complaining homeowner.
(D) The captured animal will be taken to the humane society and held for disposal unless the animal owner or an adoptive person claims the animal. If the animal is not claimed in seven days, it will become the property of the county’s humane society.
(E) It is ordered that any animal claimed be spayed/neutered and a microchip implanted at the expense of the owner or adoptive person before the animal is released.
(F) If the trapped animal is tagged and already spayed/neutered, then the officer will make one attempt to find the owner and release it to the owner’s custody. If the owner is not found, the animal will be transported to the humane society.
(G) The humane society will provide the name and address of the animal owner who claims the impounded animal and that name will be entered in a database for future reference if the animal is trapped a second time or more.
(H) (1) Additional times of capture will require the owner to be cited into City Court on a charge of allowing felines/cats to free-roam.
(2) Fines shall be as follows.
(a) Fines will be no less that $25 and no more than $500, plus court fees.
(b) If said owner has repeated violations, the judge may order the animal remanded to the humane society for disposal.
(I) Raccoons and opossums captured will be released to a nature location as determined by the Animal Control Officer.
(Ord. 2006-1590, passed 10-2-2006)