(a) Required. No person shall own, possess or harbor a dog four months old or older in the City without first obtaining a license therefor from the City Clerk in accordance with this section.
(1974 Code Sec. 9.92; Ord. 367. Passed 4-20-83; Ord. 820. Passed 12-28-05.)
(b) Application; Term.
(1) The owner of a dog that is four months old or older shall apply to the City Clerk for a license for each dog owned or kept by him or her. Licenses shall be procured for the duration of the rabies vaccination. Any prior licensee who fails to renew an expiring license within thirty days after the expiration of the prior license shall be subject to the additional renewal charge as specified herein.
(2) Each applicant must present a valid rabies certificate which shall state the breed, sex, age, color and markings of the dog and the name and address of the owner. The rabies certificate shall indicate that the dog has received a current vaccination for rabies with a vaccine licensed by the United States Department of Agriculture, and shall be signed by an accredited veterinarian.
(1974 Code Sec. 9.93; Ord. 240. Passed 4-14-76; Ord. 820. Passed 12-28-05.)
(c) Tags; Fees.
(1) Upon proper application for a license, the City Clerk shall deliver to the applicant a check of copper, brass or other metallic or durable material which shall contain, duly stamped or engraved thereon, the serial number of the license issued, the year when issued, and the words: "License, City of Southgate, Wayne County, Michigan." For each license, the City Clerk shall, before issuing the same and for each renewal thereof, collect from the applicant and pay to the City Treasurer:
A. Five dollars ($5.00) for each dog that has been spayed or neutered; or,
B. Ten dollars ($10.00) for each dog that has not been spayed or neutered.
(2) If the application for a license is not received by the City Clerk within thirty days of the expiration date of the prior license, the applicant shall pay a late renewal fee as follows:
A. Ten dollars ($10.00) for each dog that has been spayed or neutered; or,
B. Twenty dollars ($20.00) for each dog that has not been spayed or neutered.
(3) There shall be no distinction as to the sex of the dog. The size and shape of such checks shall be changed each year on June 1. No checks of a size and shape similar to that provided for herein shall be attached to the collar of any dog other than a dog licensed as provided herein. The fees for all licenses issued under this chapter for less than eight months shall be determined on a monthly pro rata basis, except those which are subject to the late renewal fee specified herein. Duplicate checks, upon proof of loss of the original, shall be issued by the City Clerk at a cost of one dollar ($1.00). A fee of one dollar ($1.00) shall be charged to any dog owner making application for a license who submits satisfactory evidence that the applicant has attained sixty years of age.
(1974 Code Sec. 9.94; Ord. 213. Passed 8-21-74; Ord. 240. Passed 4-14-76; Ord. 820. Passed 12-28-05.)
(d) Transfers. No license or license tag issued for one dog shall be transferred to another dog. Whenever the ownership or possession of any dog is permanently transferred from one person to another in the City, the license of such dog may be likewise transferred upon notice given to the City Clerk who shall note such transfer upon his or her record. This chapter does not require the procurement of a new license, or the transfer of a license already secured, when the possession of a dog is temporarily transferred for breeding, trial or show in the City.
(1974 Code Sec. 9.95)