(A) Care for unmanaged colonies prohibited. It shall be unlawful for a person to provide food, water or shelter to a colony of free-roaming cats, unless the colony is a managed colony defined under this chapter.
(B) Managed free-roaming cats.
(1) The Animal Control Division or its designee, in order to encourage the stabilization of the free-roaming cat population in the city, may:
(a) Trap any free-roaming cat in a humane manner;
(b) Have the cat surgically sterilized, ear-tipped and vaccinated against rabies by a licensed veterinarian; and
(c) Release the cat to the Animal Control Division for adoption or other disposition in accordance with law, or to a colony caretaker who will maintain the cat as part of a managed colony of free-roaming cats.
(2) The enforcement authority may impound free-roaming cats in violation of this chapter. Any free-roaming cat impounded by the enforcement authority that bears an appropriate ear-tipping indicating it belongs to a managed colony may, at the discretion of the Animal Control Division, be returned to its managed colony unless illness or injury presents an imminent danger to public health or safety.
(C) Colony caretaker responsibilities. It shall be a violation of this chapter if the colony caretaker does not abide by the following.
(1) Colony caretakers shall abide by all required standards for each cat, according to this chapter, as it relates to the provision of food, water, shelter and veterinary care for cats within the managed colony and the like.
(2) During the sterilization and immunization procedure, colony caretakers shall have a licensed veterinarian evaluate the health of each cat prior to their release back into the colony. Seriously ill or injured cats with no reasonable prognosis for recovery or the ability to survive outdoors shall be humanely euthanized.
(3) Colony caretakers are required to have proof of a three-year anti-rabies immunization from a licensed veterinarian for each cat within their colony and must provide proof of immunization to the Animal Control Division, upon request.
(4) (a) Should a cat within a managed colony become the subject of a complaint to Animal Control, the caretaker will be notified by Animal Control of the nature of the complaint.
(b) If the problem cannot be remedied by the caretaker, Animal Control has the authority to remove and/or relocate the cat.
(5) (a) Compliance with this section must occur within 90 days of arrival of a free-roaming cat to the colony.
(b) Cats that have not been ear-tipped shall remain subject to trapping and impoundment by Animal Control.
(c) Cats which have been ear-tipped and are part of a managed colony shall be permitted to remain within their designated colony area unless illness or injury presents an imminent danger to public health or safety.
(Prior Code, § 91.18) Penalty, see § 90.999