When any person owning a cat has been notified by any person injured or by someone in his or her behalf, or by someone with knowledge of said injury, that the person has been bitten or attacked by said cat, or when any person owning a cat has been notified by any person that said cat has been bitten by a rabid animal, the owner shall immediately place the cat under the care and observation of the Director or of a licensed veterinarian within the municipality with the expense thereof to be borne by the owner of such cat; and failure of the owner to submit said cat or other animal within 24 hours after notice of said bite or attack to the Director or a veterinarian within the village constitutes a violation of this subchapter. The warden or licensed veterinarian shall impound said cat for care and observation for a period of ten days in compliance with standards adopted by the corporate authorities. It shall be lawful for the warden or an agent of the warden, to destroy in a humane manner any cat that has been determined by the Director to have rabies, or that has been impounded for observation after the period of observation has expired unless the owner shall, within five days after notice has been given, redeem such cat by paying such expense incident to such impounding, observation or treatment. It shall be illegal for any person to release any cat held for observation to any person prior to expiration of the period of observation. Before any such cat shall be released the person to whom it is released shall submit proof in the form of a certificate issued by a licensed veterinarian or other person authorized by law to administer rabies inoculation that such cat does not have rabies and has been properly inoculated for rabies. Such impounded cat may be released temporarily directly by a licensed veterinarian.
(1999 Code, § 3-4-17) Penalty, see § 90.999