(a) Any animal apprehended by the Animal Control Officer shall be promptly conveyed by him or her to the public kennel or pound to be established by the City to be securely safeguarded pending its disposition. The Animal Control Officer shall use such necessary and reasonable means to accomplish the apprehension and impounding of such animal, without unnecessarily alarming such animal or inflicting injury upon or being cruel to such animal. While so acting in the discharge of his or her responsibilities hereunder, the Animal Control Officer shall be immune from any claim or liability asserted by the owner of such animal with respect to his or her acts taken hereunder. Promptly upon the impounding of any animal, the Animal Control Officer shall take reasonable means to ascertain the ownership of the animal and shall promptly notify the owner or harborer thereof that the animal has been impounded and may be recovered under the provisions of this section.
(b) Any owner or harborer of an impounded animal may reclaim such animal by presenting to the Animal Control Officer or to the Chief of Police evidence of ownership in such form as is deemed suitable and sufficient by either of such officials, but such reclaiming shall not be permitted unless and until it is demonstrated that the requisite current license for such animal, if applicable, has been obtained. Further, no animal shall be turned over to the owner or harborer thereof until the cost of apprehending and impounding such animal is paid to the Clerk-Treasurer, computed at the rates provided in Chapter 208 of the Administration Code - the General Fee Schedule.
(c) (1) Any animal impounded under the provisions of this section shall be held in the City animal kennels for a maximum period of seventy-two hours in order to permit and facilitate its reclamation. If such animal is not reclaimed within such period or such extension thereof as is deemed appropriate by the Animal Control Officer, and if the animal is a dog, such dog shall be turned over to the County Dog Warden for disposition as provided by law.
(2) Any owner of a dog impounded in the City animal kennels must show proof of a current dog license and current rabies vaccination within three days of reclaiming the dog. Any person adopting a dog impounded in the City animal kennels must obtain a dog license and show proof of having the dog vaccinated for rabies within three days of adoption from the City animal kennels.
(d) Nothing in this section shall be deemed to amend the penalty provisions of Section 618.01, nor to prohibit prosecution under the provisions thereof of any owner or harborer of an animal running at large in violation of the provisions of such section.
(Ord. 65-16. Passed 4-22-65; Ord. 94-59. Passed 11-22-94; Ord. 97-97. Passed 12-18-97; Ord. 2003-29. Passed 9-11-03.)