A person finding a stray animal(s) shall:
(A) (1) Notify the Department immediately and no later than 24 hours after finding an animal(s) to have the animal(s) picked up or shall drop the animal(s) off to the Department.
(2) If an animal control officer is not on duty the finder will need to hold onto the animal(s) until the next animal control officer comes on duty.
(B) At the discretion of the Department, the animal(s) may be held by the finder who shall complete a found report with the Department which provides the finder an opportunity to return the animal(s) to its owner.
(1) The finder must hold onto the animal(s) until the owner is found or until 30 days has passed from when the found report was filed with the Department.
(2) If the finder is unable to continue to hold on to the animal(s), the animal(s) must be surrendered to the Department. The animal(s) may not be rehomed to anyone else to hold.
(3) The finder must present the animal(s) for microchip scanning at the Department within seven days from finding the animal(s).
(4) The finder shall make the animal(s) available to any potential owners and may use the Department as a meeting location.
(5) With the exception of partnering animal welfare organizations, the finder will be considered the found animal’s owner for the purposes of this chapter only after a found report has been filed with the department and the animal(s) is in the finder’s custody for a continuous 30 days.
(C) Upon request of the Department, a found animal(s) will be surrendered to the Department and held for three business days prior to its disposition.
(D) A person finding an animal(s) shall comply with all rules and regulations of this chapter pertaining to humane care and treatment of animal(s) while such animal(s) is in the person’s custody pending return to its owner.
(Prior Code, § 90.04) (Ord. G-84-27, passed 12-11-1984; Ord. G-21-15, passed 7-30-2021)