Any animal which appears to be lost, strayed or unwanted, or which is found to be not wearing a currently valid rabies vaccination tag as required by state law, shall be confined in the animal shelter in a humane manner for a minimum of three weekdays and a maximum of ten weekdays for redemption by the owner.
(A) Sale or destruction. If an impounded animal is not redeemed by the owner within three days, it becomes the property of the county, and it may be offered for adoption, placed with a rescue group or humanely euthanized by the Person County Animal Services Department. No animal shall be sold, adopted, or redeemed, however, unless it shall be established to the satisfaction of the Animal Control Officer that it had been vaccinated against rabies prior to its having been taken into custody. The animal can be adopted by any responsible adult who is willing to comply with ordinances and the conditions of the adoption contract. Identification will be required. The adoption fees and spay/neuter deposit must be paid at the time of adoption.
(B) Notifying owner. Immediately upon impounding an animal, the Animal Control Division will make reasonable effort to notify the owner and inform the owner of the conditions whereby the animal may be redeemed.
(C) Intact dogs and cats. The Animal Control Division shall require that at the appropriate age all adopted dogs and cats released from the animal shelter be spayed or neutered, unless released to the County Animal Protection Society. All items according to § 92.40(G) and § 92.42 must be met when the animal is adopted.
(D) Suspected rabies. Animals impounded which have been bitten by a rabid animal, or which the Animal Control Officer has reasonable grounds to suspect has been exposed to a suspected rabid animal or appear to be suffering from rabies, shall not be redeemed or adopted, but shall be dealt with as provided in § 92.17.
(E) Unwanted, diseased or injured animals. If an animal is officially surrendered by the owner to the Animal Control Division to be placed in a home or destroyed in a humane manner, it shall be disposed of without waiting three days.
(F) Other diseased or injured animals. Any animal impounded which is badly wounded or diseased (not a rabies suspect) and has no identification shall be destroyed immediately in a humane manner. If the animal has identification, the Animal Control Division will attempt to notify the owner before disposing of the animal; but if the owner cannot be reached, and the animal is suffering, the Animal Control Division may destroy the animal at its discretion in a humane manner.
(G) When quarantine for the city has been activated, no animals retrieved from the corporate limits (or designated quarantine area) will be released from the shelter, unless it has a current, verified rabies vaccination.
(Ord. passed 4-5-93; Am. Ord. passed 3-18-96; Am. Ord. passed 3-11-13; Am. Ord. passed 3-9-15)