(A) The owner of any animal shall keep such animal confined or under restraint at all times when it is off the premises of the owner's real property, and shall not permit such animal to be at large. Dogs trained for law enforcement under the control of a peace officer in the performance of duty shall not be required to be confined or under restraint.
(B) The provisions of division (A), shall not apply to:
(1) Dogs being used in hunting, field trials, and under the control of the owner or handler;
(2) Dog shows while on public lands set aside for those purposes;
(3) Blood hounds or other dogs used for tracking in conjunction with police activities;
(4) Dogs of the Canine Corps of any police force, the state police, any federal law enforcement agency, or the armed forces while being used to conduct official business or being used for official purposes;
(5) Barn cats maintained under a barn cat caretaker license in accordance with other provisions of this section; or
(6) A feral cat caretaker participating in a trap, spay/neuter, vaccinate for rabies, and return program.
(C) A dog or cat found running at large contrary to the provisions of this chapter a second or subsequent time must be spayed or neutered within 30 days after being reclaimed unless already spayed or neutered. Failure to comply with this section shall be a violation of law and shall result in the Administrator or Deputy Administrator ordering the dog impounded and the dog's owner paying a $50 fine, to be deposited into the Animal Control Fund. If the animal is impounded a subsequent time and not sterilized, he/she must be sterilized at the owner's expense before being released from animal control.
(D) Every animal running at large or stray animal within the county may be impounded by the Animal Shelter Manager or delegate, the police, or private citizen. Once the animal has been impounded at the animal shelter, it may be released only after payment of any adjudicated fines owed for violation of this chapter, any redemption/adoption fees that are set forth in this chapter, and if the animal was not inoculated against rabies as required by this chapter when impounded, any inoculation and registration cost incurred by the animal shelter to inoculate and register the animal.
(Ord. E-19-97, passed 5-29-2019; Res. HS-24-13, passed 4-24-2024) Penalty, see § 90.99