A. The administrative hearing officer and the administrative appeal hearing date shall be assigned according to Section 8.04.070.
B. The administrative hearing officer shall render a decision at the hearing or serve the owner and the animal care services manager with a written determination after the hearing has concluded within five business days of the hearing.
C. The administrative hearing officer shall admit into evidence all relevant information and the formal rules of evidence shall be relaxed for the purposes of these proceedings.
D. If, after hearing testimony from all interested parties, the administrative hearing officer makes a finding that the animal does fall within Section 9.44.710(A) or Section 9.44.710(B), it shall result in the issuance of an order that shall confirm the manager's dangerous animal declaration or potentially dangerous animal declaration. In the case of a dangerous animal declaration, the order shall either order the animal destroyed, or may order the return of the animal to its owner and impose the conditions set forth in the declaration issued by the animal care services manager, with any modifications the administrative hearing officer deems appropriate.
E. The decision of the administrative hearing officer shall further inform the owner of an animal declared to be dangerous or potentially dangerous or their right to seek review by the superior court pursuant to California Code of Civil Procedure 1094.5. (Ord. 2003-044 § 3; prior code § 6.09.106)