(A) Animals to be impounded.
(1) At-large animals, nuisance animals, and animals which have bitten persons may be taken by law enforcement officers or by any animal control officer and impounded in the Agency Shelter and there confined in a humane manner.
(2) In lieu of impounding an animal which is at large, unlicensed, or a public nuisance according to this chapter, the law enforcement officer or animal control officer may issue to the known owner of that animal a notice of code violation.
(3) Any animal deemed to be suffering or which has a contagious and serious medical condition with little or no chance for survival or by court order may be humanely euthanized before the holding period has expired.
(B) Jurisdiction for impoundment. The jurisdiction of the city Police Department for purposes of this chapter shall be within the city limits of the municipality.
(C) Notice and term of impoundment. If by a license tag or other means the owner of an impounded animal can be identified, the animal control officer shall immediately upon impoundment notify the owner in person, by telephone or registered mail. Aggressive animals, including feral cats, whose owners are not identifiable or cannot be notified after reasonable effort shall be held for three nights from impoundment before becoming the property of the Agency Shelter. Animals that are the property of the Agency Shelter may be placed for adoption or humanely euthanized.
(D) Impounded animals; reclamation.
(1) An owner reclaiming an impounded dog or cat shall pay a board fee as set forth in Ch. 36 of this code for each night the animal was impounded, in addition to any fines due for any violations of this title. An owner reclaiming an impounded animal other than a dog or cat shall pay a board fee in keeping with the size and needed care of the animal in addition to any fines due for any violation of this title.
(2) An owner reclaiming an impounded animal that is not under the jurisdiction of the city shall pay, in addition to the board fee, a fee, increasing by an increment each subsequent time the animal is reclaimed, not to exceed a maximum, all as set forth in Ch. 36 of this code. In the event the animal is not impounded for a period of 12 consecutive months, the fee for reclamation after that period shall be the initial fee, with the fee increasing by an increment each subsequent time the animal is impounded, not to exceed the maximum, all as set forth in Ch. 36 of this code.
(1987 Code, § 6-122) (Ord. 13, 1995, passed 5-8-1995; Am. Ord. 1, 2000, passed 1-24-2000; Am. Ord. 19, 2001, passed 8-27-2001; Am. Ord. 15, 2002, passed 8-12-2002) Penalty, see § 97.99