A police officer or the Animal Control Officer may enter upon private property and seize any animal; provided that, the following exist:
(A) There is an identified complaint other than the police officer or Animal Control Officer making a contemporaneous complaint about the animal;
(B) The officer reasonably believes that the animal meets either the barking dog criteria; the criteria for cruelty; or the criteria for an at large animal;
(C) The officer can demonstrate that there has been at least one previous complaint of a barking dog; inhumane treatment of the animal; or that the animal was at large on a prior date;
(D) The officer has made a reasonable attempt to contact the owner of the property and those attempts have either failed or have been ignored;
(E) The seizure will not involve the forced entry into a private residence. Use of a pass key obtained from a property manager, landlord, innkeeper or other authorized person to have the key is not an unauthorized entry;
(F) No other less intrusive means is available to stop either the barking dog, the inhumane treatment of the animal or the at large animal; and
(G) Written notice of the seizure is left in a conspicuous place if personal contact with the owner of the dog is not possible.
(Prior Code, § 911.15) (Ord. 00-04, passed 12-1-2000; Ord. 2008-16, passed 11-19-2008)