(a) The City Council is hereby authorized to employ a City Humane Officer and/or City Animal Control Officer to work at such hours and for pay as set by City Council.
(b) Such City Humane Officer and/or City Animal Control Officer shall give a sum not less than two thousand dollars ($2000.00) each, conditioned on the faithful performance of their duties. Such bond shall be filed with the City Recorder.
(c) Council may, in lieu of employing a City Humane Officer, designate the Humane Society of New Martinsville and Wetzel County as the agency or one of the agencies charged with the administration and enforcement of this chapter.
(d) The City Humane Officer and/or City Animal Control Officer shall patrol the City and enforce all ordinances related to dogs and other domestic animals, and shall seize on sight and impound any dog found running at large, and further seize and impound any dog not wearing a valid registration tag, except dogs kept constantly confined in a registered dog kennel.
(e) When any animal has been seized and impounded, the Animal Control Officer shall forthwith give notice to the owner of such animal, if such owner is known, that such animal has been impounded and that it will be sold or destroyed if not redeemed within seventy-two (72) hours. If the owner of such animal is not known to the Animal Control Officer, they shall post a notice at the multiple public locations. All notices shall describe such animal, the date and the place where seized, and shall advise the owner that such animal, will be sold or destroyed if not redeemed within 72 hours. All animals not claimed within the seventy-two (72) hour period, from time of notice, will be deemed abandoned.
(f) Notice to the owner or person entitled to possession of impounded animals shall be sufficient by any of the following means;
(1) Written notice given in person to the owner or person entitled to possession of the impounded animal;
(2) Written notice given in person to a member of the household owner or person entitled to possession of the impounded animal;
(3) Written notice conspicuously posted at the address listed on such dog's certificate of registration; or
(4) Written notice by certified mail, to the last known address of the owner or person entitled to possession of the impounded animal;
(g) The owner or person entitled to possession of the impounded animal under the provisions of this article may, at any time prior to the expiration of the seventy-two (72) hour period, redeem such animal upon; satisfactory proof of such party's right to possession; by providing, in the case of a dog, a valid certificate of registration; by providing, in the case of a dog or cat, proof of current and lawfully required vaccination(s); and payment to the impounding officer or his authorized agent, or to the City Recorder, all fees and expenses incurred by the city. Reasonable costs and fees, in such amount as may be determined from time to time by Council shall be assessed against every animal seized and impounded under the provisions hereof, and in this particular, there shall be assessed against every animal seized or impounded an administrative fee of ten dollars ($10.00).
(h) The owner, keeper or harborer of any animal seized and impounded under the provisions hereof may, at any time prior to the expiration of five days from the time that notice of the seizure and impounding of the animal shall have been given or posted as required by this section, redeem the same by paying to the Animal Control Officer, or his authorized agent or deputy, all of the costs assessed against each animal, and, in the case of dogs, by providing a valid certificate of registration and/or registration tag for such dog.
(i) The Animal Control Officer is hereby authorized to issue citations for the violation of any City ordinance pertaining hereto.
(j) Neither impoundment of the animal nor payment of the redemption fees shall serve to bar the prosecution of any person for violation of any provision of this article.