(a) Position Established. There is hereby established the position of Animal Control Officer within the City.
(b) General Duties. The Animal Control Officer shall make a record of all dogs owned, kept and harbored in the City. He shall patrol the City and seize and impound on sight all dogs more than three months of age found not wearing a valid registration tag issued by the County, except dogs kept constantly confined in a registered dog kennel. He shall investigate all claims for damage to any livestock inflicted by dogs and shall report in writing to the Director of Public Safety of all dogs seized and impounded, redeemed and/or destroyed and all claims for damage to livestock inflicted by dogs. He shall have the same police powers conferred upon police officers in the performance of his duties, including the power to summon the assistance of bystanders, and may serve writs and other legal processes issued by any court within the City. The Animal Control Officer has the authority to approve animal confinement structures or devices when this chapter requires such structures or devices to be approved. The Animal Control Officer may have any additional duties that are prescribed by this chapter, State law or local ordinances.
(c) Dog Bite; Procedure. The Department of Health having jurisdiction over the location where the dog bite occurs, the Animal Control Officer or any other person or agency lawfully entitled to do so has the authority to order that an animal be quarantined in any situations permitted by the Ohio Revised Code, the Newark Codified Ordinances or other relevant law. When a report is made to the Animal Control Officer that a dog has bitten any person within the City, such dog shall be immediately quarantined by the owner, keeper or harborer for a period of ten days or, at the discretion of the Animal Control Officer, for a period of ten days, by the Animal Control Officer at the owner, keeper or harborer's expense. Within twenty-four hours of the dog bite being reported, notice shall be furnished to the owner, keeper or harborer of such dog stating that an allegation has been made that such dog has bitten a person and requiring the owner, keeper or harborer to produce satisfactory proof that such dog has been vaccinated for rabies. In the event that such owner, keeper or harborer does not furnish such proof within ten days after receipt of such notice, the owner, keeper, harborer or animal control officer if said dog is in the dog control officer's possession shall have the dog vaccinated within five calendar days of the end of the quarantine. If the Animal Control Officer has such dog vaccinated for rabies, costs for such vaccination shall be assessed to the owner, keeper or harborer of said dog. Proof of the vaccination shall be furnished to the Animal Control Officer.
(d) Definition. Throughout this chapter, the term "animal control officer" shall include the position of animal control officer within the City as created by City Council as well as any county dog warden and/or deputy dog warden appointed or employed by the Board of County Commissioners of Licking County, Ohio (hereinafter referred to as the county dog warden) and all authority conferred herein upon the animal control officer of the City is conferred equally upon said county dog warden.
(Ord. 64-128. Passed 12-21-64; Ord. 04-43. Passed 11-15-04; Ord. 07-30. Passed 7-16-07; Ord. 16-07-A. Passed 4-4-16.)