(A) It shall be unlawful for the owner of any dog and/or cat to allow such dog and/or cat to run at large at any time within the corporate limits of the city. It shall be the duty of the police to cause any dog or cat found to be running at large within the city to be taken up and impounded. RUNNING AT LARGE shall mean any dog or cat found off the premises of the owner and not under control of the owner or a responsible person either by leash, cord, chain, wire rope, cage, or other suitable means of physical restraint. The city shall provide an animal shelter wherein all animals of the dog and cat kind shall be required to be impounded under the provisions of this subchapter. The Chief of Police shall establish and maintain said shelter in some convenient location. He or she shall capture and secure all dogs and cats running at large contrary to the provisions of these articles and shall remove such dogs and cats in a humane manner to the animal shelter.
(B) Any dog or cat so impounded shall be delivered to the owner upon his or her paying to the City Clerk the dog and/or cat tax due, should it be unpaid, and providing said dog and/or cat with a collar or harness and the plate or tag as herein provided, should said dog or cat be without one, and paying a poundage fee of $5 per day. All poundage fees shall inure to and be paid into the General Fund within 30 days after their receipt.
(C) When any dog or cat shall be found running at large and it has not been claimed by its owner within three days, if licensed or if unlicensed, the police may dispose of or destroy said dog or cat after posting notice of such intent for 24 hours.
(D) The city may, if it deems it necessary and proper, enter into an agreement with an animal control professional whereby the duty and authority to capture and impound dogs and cats found running at large, herein granted to the Chief of Police, would be delegated to such animal control professional. Such an agreement must be approved by the Mayor and City Council. If such an agreement is entered into, the same requirements for the return of an impounded dog or cat shall apply except for the provision relating to poundage fees. The poundage fees to be paid by the owner of an impounded dog or cat shall be a fee in an amount equal to that normally charged in the ordinary course of business by the animal control professional with whom the city has contracted. Said poundage fee shall not be paid into the General Fund but shall be paid to said animal control professional. Under such an agreement, any captured dogs and cats shall be impounded at the facilities of the animal control professional with whom the city contracts. The provisions outlined herein for the destruction of impounded dogs and cats shall apply in the event that the city enters into an agreement with an animal control professional for the capture and impoundment of dogs and cats found running at large within the corporate limits of the city.
(Prior Code, § 6-107) (Ord. 583, passed 5-10-1996) Penalty, see § 90.99