(A) License required. It is unlawful for any person or other entity to own, keep, maintain or have permanent or temporary custody of a dog within the limits of the county, exclusive of the incorporated areas, unless such dog has been registered and licensed in the manner herein provided.
(B) Application. Application for registration and licensing shall be made to the Clerk/Auditor, or such other person as tire county commission may authorize to receive such applications.
(C) Issuance of license. A dog license shall be issued by the Clerk/Auditor or such other person as the County Board of Commissioners may authorize.
(D) Exception. Dogs shall not be subject to registration and licensing until they obtain the age of four months.
(E) Fee. No dog license shall be issued by the county until the fee required herein is paid. The fee shall be set by the County Board of Commissioners, which may be charged at any time. Should a dog not be neutered or spayed at the time the dog is required to be licensed, the fee charged shall be at the unneutered or unspayed rate. Upon presentation to the licensing agent of proof of neutering or spaying within 60 days of the licensing, such portion of the license fee paid for an unneutered or unspayed dog shall be returned to the owner, and the county records shall be changed to reflect the dog is licensed as either spayed or neutered.
(F) Due and payable. The fee due and payable pursuant to this section shall be due January 1 and shall be delinquent after February 15 of each year. A penalty of 25% shall be added to delinquent payments.
(G) Newly acquired dogs or dogs attaining licensing age. The owner of any newly acquired dog of licensing age or any dog which attains licensing age after February 15 of any year shall make an application for registration and license within ten days after such acquisition or after the dog attains the above stated age; provided, that the license fee shall be one-half of the required fee for a new application received after July 1 of any year.
(H) Content of application. The owner shall state at the time application is made for such license, his or her name and address and the sex, breed and color of each dog owned or kept by him or her. The license fee shall cover the calendar year in which the license was issued, expiring on December 31 of the year of issuance, regardless of the date when issued.
(I) Exception to fee requirement. Dogs used as guides for blind persons and commonly known as seeing eye dogs shall be licensed and registered as other dogs as provided in this section; except that the owner or keeper of such dog shall not be required to pay any fee therefor.
(Ord. 2008-01, passed 5-12-2008) Penalty, see § 91.999