(A) Any person or organization wishing to act as a caretaker for feral cats within the city must:
(1) Register the feral cat colony with the Animal Control Officer or member of the Department of Public Health and Safety. Any person or organization operating a feral cat colony in the city shall pay the annual license fee for each feral cat assessed pursuant to § 91.061 of this chapter;
(2) Maintain the colony in a clean and sanitary condition at all times;
(3) File with the Animal Control Officer or other person charged with the enforcement of this chapter of the Department of Public Health and Safety, an annual written status report of all colonies. Each status report shall include the name, address and phone number of each caretaker;
(4) Assure responsibility and arrangements for feeding the cats or cat colony regularly throughout the year, including weekends, holidays and vacation of the feral cat caretaker;
(5) Sterilize (neuter/spay) all adult cats registered within the colony;
(6) Vaccinate all cats registered within the colony against rabies and other infectious disease as mandated by law;
(7) Sterilize (neuter/spay) all kittens over eight weeks of age and before 16 weeks of age;
(8) Make every attempt to remove kittens from the colony before eight weeks of age for domestication and placement (adoption);
(9) Remove sick or injured cats from the colony for immediate veterinary care or humane euthanasia;
(10) Ear-crop all cats with a single cut preferably on the left ear, at least one inch from the outside tip of the auricle;
(11) Provide either a tattoo on the inside of the right ear or a microchip implant that will aid in animal identification; and
(12) Maintain written proof of sterilization, vaccination, tattoo or microchip implant and medical records for all cats associated with the colony. Records must be maintained for all litters delivered within the colony and adoptions of animals born at or housed within the colony. Records must be provided to the Animal Control Officer upon request.
(B) Upon request, the city shall issue the feral cat caretaker certification necessary to allow said caretaker to become eligible to have all felines spayed, neutered and vaccinated at a reduced fee in accordance with the Illinois Public Health and Safety Animal Population Control Act codified at 510 ILCS 92/1 et seq.
(1994 Code, § 91.39) (Ord. 07-07, passed 11-13-2007)