(A) Interference with enforcement prohibited. No person shall in any way interfere with any person who is known to the person to be or who identifies himself or herself to be and is, in fact, a city employee or officer enforcing the provisions of this chapter or engaged in catching or impounding any animal under the authority of this chapter.
(B) Authority to impound animals and enter onto private property.
(1) It shall be the duty of the employees and officers of the Police Department and the Animal Control Officer to take up and impound in the city animal pound, or other place as designated by the Chief of Police, any animal found at large or any dog found in the city without identification, inoculation or licensing tags contrary to any of the provisions of this chapter or statutes of the state.
(2) The employees and officers of the Police Department and the Animal Control Officer are authorized to go on private property in order to enforce this chapter or to take up any animal which is found at large or to take up any dog found without required inoculation, licensing or identification tags; however, such persons may not enter a private dwelling house for this purpose without a valid warrant or the consent of the occupant.
(C) Impoundment of animals which have bitten persons.
(1) Any animal, whether under restraint or not, which has bitten or otherwise injured any person so as to cause an abrasion of the skin shall be immediately taken by the Police Department or Animal Control Officer, impounded and kept separated from other animals for ten days. The victim of the bite shall notify the Police Department or Animal Control Officer of the bite within 24 hours. The Police Department or Animal Control Officer shall notify the owners of the animal impounded for biting the person. If, during the ten day period, the animal develops symptoms of illness, a licensed veterinarian shall diagnose its condition. If the symptoms disclose or are such as to indicate the presence of rabies, the animal shall be destroyed in such manner as to preserve intact the head, which shall be detached and immediately sent to the diagnostic laboratory of the Department of Agriculture. In case the animal cannot be safely taken up and impounded, it may be killed, care being taken to preserve the head intact, which shall be detached and immediately delivered to the diagnostic laboratory of the Department of Agriculture.
(2) If, at the expiration of the period of ten days, no symptoms of rabies have developed in the impounded animal, the animal may be redeemed by the owner on payment of the redemption fees and charges specified in this chapter. Also, at the end of the ten day period, if the dog is not retrieved in ten days with all costs being paid at that time, the animal shall be humanely destroyed.
(3) After having been notified that his or her animal has bitten or otherwise injured any person, the owner or keeper thereof shall not under any circumstances permit the animal to be outside of his or her premises except on a leash with a responsible adult until the procedures prescribed in divisions (C)(1) and (2) of this section have been completed.
(D) Redemption of impounded animals.
(1) Any owner or keeper desiring to redeem an impounded animal shall pay an impoundment fee of $30 per animal to the city and in addition, $10 a day for keeping the animal while impounded.
(2) No animal shall be redeemed until the owner shall present proof of a current rabies inoculation or shall pay for the rabies inoculation and registration. In addition, a fee of $25 shall be charged for the second or subsequent redemption of the same animal.
(3) All fees and costs shall be paid by the owner or keeper at the City Clerk’s Office. The City Clerk shall obtain from the Animal Control Officer a written statement of all fees and costs and shall issue a receipt for payment of the same.
(D) Disposition of animals not redeemed. Any dog or other animal, except animals bearing owner identification or inoculation tags, impounded pursuant to the provisions of this chapter, which has not been redeemed within seven working days shall be humanely destroyed or otherwise disposed of by the Animal Control Officer. Any dog with owner identification tags, which is impounded pursuant to the provisions of this chapter and which shall not be redeemed within seven working days shall be humanely destroyed or otherwise disposed of by the director of the city animal pound.
(E) Issuance of citations to persons in violation.
(1) City police officers and animal control officers are authorized to issue citations on a reasonable belief that any person has violated any provisions of this chapter.
(2) Citations shall be issued on forms approved by the Chief of Police.
(3) Citations shall be issued personally to the violator, left with a responsible family member of at least 13 years of age at the home of the violator or mailed to the residence of the violator.
(4) Persons issuing citations shall ensure that the original citation is filed with the Circuit Clerk within 72 hours after issuance and that a copy is forwarded to the city’s Corporation Counsel.
(Ord. 2005-29, passed 9-13-2005)