The City Manager shall have the authority to perform all of the following administrative functions and shall use the resources of the Animal Control Officer, the City Police Department, and any other necessary City Departments to effectuate the provisions of this chapter.
A. On observation of a Potentially Dangerous or Dangerous Dog or upon receipt of a complaint of a Potentially Dangerous or Dangerous Dog, the identity of the owner of such Potentially Dangerous Dog or Dangerous Dog shall be determined. If the identity of the Potentially Dangerous Dog or Dangerous Dog's owner cannot be determined, the dog shall be immediately impounded.
B. If the dog's owner can be identified, the circumstances of the complaint shall be investigated. If probable cause is found to indicate that the dog is a Potentially Dangerous Dog or Dangerous Dog as defined in this Chapter, the dog shall be immediately impounded pending a final determination by the City Manger. However, the dog may be returned to the owner provided that (1) the dog is not an immediate threat to the public safety or welfare; (2) the owner signs an acknowledgement on a form provided by the City of Paris that he/she is the dog's owner and that the owner will confine the dog to the owner's property pending a final determination by the City Manager. If the owner(s) fail or refuse to sign such an acknowledgement, the dog shall be immediately impounded pending a final determination by the City Manager.
C. The City Manager shall forthwith determine if the dog under investigation is a Dangerous Dog or Potentially Dangerous Dog as defined in this Chapter.
D. If the City Manager determines that a dog under investigation is a Dangerous Dog or a Potentially Dangerous Dog as defined in this Chapter, the City Manager shall notify the owner(s) of the dog in writing, of this determination. The notice shall advise the owner of (1) the provisions of this chapter relating to the requirements for ownership of a Dangerous Dog or Potentially Dangerous Dog; (2) the owner(s) right to appeal the City Manager's determination to the Municipal Court for the City of Paris. Such notice shall be either delivered in person to the owner(s) of the dog by the Animal Control Officer or by Certified Mail with a Return Receipt which shows the date and place delivered.
E. The owner(s) of a dog which has been determined by the city manager to be a Dangerous Dog or a Potentially Dangerous Dog may appeal that determination to the Municipal Court for the City of Paris. The appeal shall be in writing and shall be filed within five (5) days of the receipt of notice of the city manager's determination. The City Judge's decision on the appeal shall be final for all purposes and may be appealed to the Circuit Court of Tennessee for Henry County.