(a) The Sheriff and his or her deputies, Animal Control Officers, every shelterkeeper and any person employed or designated for that purpose by the Board of Supervisors are hereby authorized and empowered to:
(1) Capture, receive, take up and impound:
(A) Any dog or other animal found running at large in violation of this Code or of any law of the State of California;
(B) Any dog or other animal which is harassing any person;
(C) Any dog, which is harassing an animal upon the premises of any person’s property or public place, including the owner’s or keeper’s property;
(D) Any animal, including wild animals, being kept or maintained within a person’s property in violation of this Code or of any law of the State of California;
(E) Stray or abandoned animals;
(F) Dogs, which are not licensed or not vaccinated, in violation of this Code;
(G) Any animals delivered for disposition, by its owner, when the owner has paid the required fee and signed forms releasing all title and interest in the animal;
(H) Any animal which cannot be cared for by its owner or custodian because of the owner or custodian’s imprisonment, illness, bankruptcy, litigation, or other contingency, or because the owner or custodian cannot be found.
(2) Regularly and adequately provide food, water and otherwise care for all animals impounded under the provisions of this Code;
(3) Take up and impound any sick or injured animal whose owner is unknown or unidentified; to humanely destroy any such injured animal, when, in the opinion of the officer, registered veterinary technician or a licensed veterinarian, such destruction is necessary and humane; and make proper disposition of such destroyed animal. Should the owner of an injured or destroyed animal be identified, the owner shall be immediately notified of its injury or destruction;
(4) Perform any other acts necessary to carry out the provisions of this Code and of the laws of the State of California relating to animals.
(b) The officer having custody of any impounded animal may, by humane methods, summarily destroy the animal if:
(1) The animal is suffering from any incurable or contagious disease as certified to by a licensed veterinarian or registered veterinary technician and the destruction has been approved by the Chief Officer, or designee, of the Animal Care and Control Program;
(2) The animal is in the field and it is too severely ill or injured to move or where a veterinarian is not available and it would be more humane to dispose of the animal and the destruction is approved by the Chief Officer, or designee, of the Animal Care and Control Program;
(3) The animal is in the act of killing, wounding or persistently pursuing a human being.
(c) Except as provided in Food and Agricultural Code §§ 31752 or 31108 for owner redemption, any officer having in his or her custody any unlicensed, impounded animal not suffering from any infectious or communicable disease may release the animal to any adult person who will pay the pound fees and charges as specified in the San Bernardino County Code Schedule of Fees. If a resident of an unincorporated area, the person shall also pay rabies vaccination and license fees for a dog.
(d) All the provisions of this Code pertaining to impounded, unlicensed dogs, except the licensing provisions thereof, shall apply to impounded cats.
(e) The shelterkeeper or any duly authorized person shall have the right to receive and dispose of animals delivered into his or her possession by their owners and shall charge a fee for each animal delivered into custody pursuant to San Bernardino County Code Schedule of Fees.
(f) Any impounded animal that has not been redeemed or adopted may be disposed of by euthanasia in accordance with State and County laws.
(Ord. 962, passed - -1961; Am. Ord. 1455, passed - -1968; Am. Ord. 1603, passed - -1970; Am. Ord. 1764, passed - -1972; Am. Ord. 3804, passed - -2000)