When the Chief of Police determines that a dog in this city is infected with rabies or hydrophobia, the Mayor may, upon written advice of the health officer that the public safety and general welfare require it, order by proclamation that all dogs be muzzled when off the premises of the owner, and that all unmuzzled dogs found off the premises of the owner be immediately taken up and impounded, and may further order that after the proclamation has been published for 48 hours, either by posting or by printing in the official newspaper, all dogs found off the premises of the owner unmuzzled shall be taken up, impounded, and killed, except that an officer may immediately kill such an unmuzzled dog if with reasonable effort it cannot first be taken up and impounded. Any dog seized and impounded during the first 48 hours after the publishing of the proclamation shall, if claimed within five days, and if not infected with hydrophobia or rabies, be returned to its owner without any fee being required, but after those five days, these dogs may be killed.
(1997 Code, § 36.10)