(A) It shall be unlawful for any person to own a dog or cat, four months or older, in Northampton County unless such dog or cat is licensed as required by the provisions of this subchapter. A dog or cat license shall consist of a license receipt and a metal tag. The license receipt shall include: the amount paid; the name and address of the owner or custodian; the date of payment; the year for which issued; the serial number of the tag; whether dog or cat; and its age, sex and breed. The metal tag shall be stamped or otherwise permanently marked to show "Northampton County," the sex of the dog or cat, the calendar year for which issued, and bear a serial number. Tags shall be color coded by calendar year.
(B) Dog and cat licenses shall run by the calendar year, namely from January 1 to December 31, inclusive, and the license tax shall be payable at the office of the Treasurer of Northampton County and shall be as follows:
(1) Male: for a male dog or cat, $10;
(2) Unsexed male: for an unsexed (successfully neutered) male dog or cat, $5;
(3) Female: for a female dog or cat, $10;
(4) Unsexed female: for an unsexed (successfully spayed) female dog or cat, $5;
(5) Kennel for 20 dogs or cats: $35;
(6) Kennel for 50 dogs or cats: $50;
(7) Duplicate tag: $1.
(C) No license tax shall be levied on any dog that is trained and serves as a guide dog for a blind person, that is trained and serves as a hearing dog for a deaf or hearing-impaired person, or that is trained and serves as a service dog for a mobility-impaired or otherwise disabled person. As used in this section,
HEARING DOG
,
MOBILITY-IMPAIRED PERSON
,
OTHERWISE DISABLED PERSON
, and
SERVICE DOG
have the same meaning as assigned in VA Code § 51.5-40.1, as amended.
(Ord. passed 10-14-1997; Am. Ord. passed 10-15-2002; Am. Ord. passed 9-9-2014)