(A) Dog pound. The Town Council may contract with some humane person as pound master, with an adjoining municipality or with the county for the purpose of providing suitable premises and facilities to be used by the town as the dog pound. It shall be maintained in some convenient location and shall be sanitary and so operated as to properly feed, water and protect the dogs from injury.
(B) Duty of official to impound. It shall be the duty of every designated official to apprehend any dog found running at large, not wearing his or her tag, or which is in violation of this chapter and to impound such dog in the pound or other suitable place. The pound master, or some other designated official, upon receiving any dog, shall make a complete registry, entering the breed, color and mix of such dog and whether licensed. If licensed, he or she shall enter the name and address of the owner and number of the license.
(C) Interference with impounding prohibited. It shall be unlawful for any person to hinder, delay, interfere with or obstruct the pound master, his or her assistant or any designated official of the town, while engaging in capturing, securing or taking to the dog pound any dog or dogs liable to be impounded, or to break open or in any manner directly or indirectly aid, counsel or advise the breaking open of any dog pound or ambulance, wagon or other vehicle used for the collecting or conveying of dogs to the dog pound.
(D) Records maintained by Animal Control Officer. The pound master shall keep a record of each animal impounded by him or her, the date of receipt of such animal, the date and manner of its disposal and, if redeemed, reclaimed or purchased, the name and address of such person, the amounts of all fees received or collected for or because of the impounding, reclaiming or purchasing thereof, together with the number of any tag and the date of any tag exhibited or issued upon the redemption or sale of such animal.
(E) Redemption of impounded dogs. Any dog impounded as a licensed or unlicensed dog may be redeemed and taken from such pound by the owner or any authorized person, upon exhibiting to the pound master or person having charge of said pound, a certificate of registry as provided in division (B) above, showing that the license imposed by this chapter has been paid for such dog and upon paying the person in charge of the pound an impounding fee in such amount as established by resolution of the Town Council. All impounded dogs not redeemed within five days shall be sold for the best price obtainable at either private or public sale, and all monies received from such sales shall be paid daily to the Town Treasurer. All dogs that are not sold or redeemed in the required time shall be disposed of in a humane manner. Under no circumstances will any dog be boarded in impound for more than five days. The Town Council may, by resolution, adjust the charges for impounding dogs as costs warrant.
(F) Disposition of unclaimed or infected dogs. All impounded dogs not redeemed within five days of the date of impounding may be destroyed or sold to the person first making written request for purchase at such price as may be deemed agreeable. In the case of dogs severely injured or having contagious disease other than rabies and which, in the pound master’s judgment, are suffering and recovery is doubtful, the pound master may destroy the dog without awaiting the five-day period.
(Prior Code, § 5-1-10) (Ord. 87-02, passed 12-17-1986)