505.16. Registration and identification required.

   (a)   No person, within the City shall own a cat over six months of age without procuring registration for such cat as provided in this chapter and keeping secured to such cat a cat tag bearing the registration number.

   (b)   No person, who is the owner of any cat, shall permit or allow such cat to wear any cat tag issued for another cat or a cat tag which has expired.

   (c)   Except as otherwise provided in this section, application for such registration shall be made annually to the Commissioner and the following information, including presentation of a valid, current rabies certificate showing that the cat has been vaccinated for rabies in accordance with Section 1705.09, shall be furnished:

      (1)    Name, address and work and home phone numbers of the owner or keeper of such cat and the approximate date of ownership or residency, whichever is earlier;

      (2)   Such description of the cat as may be required for the purpose of identification; and

      (3)   If applicable, a veterinarian's statement that the cat has been spayed or neutered;

      (4)   If applicable, information the Commissioner deems necessary to support the nonexpiration provisions of subsection (h) hereof.

   (d)   The Commissioner shall furnish to the owner, upon payment of the registration fees as hereinafter required, a receipt showing thereon the information described in subsection (c) hereof and a cat tag bearing the registration number which shall be secured to the cat.

   (e)   No person shall remove or cause to be removed, the unexpired cat tag from any registered cat.

   (f)   Subject to subsection (h) hereof, fees shall be as follows:

 

Annual Registration Fee
Each cat that is not spayed or neutered	$ 45.00
A cattery permit	100.00
Each cat that is spayed or neutered	10.00
Each replacement for lost unexpired cat tags	1.00 each

 

   (g)   The cat registration and cat tag shall remain valid through December 31 of the calendar year in which it is issued, except as provided for in subsection (h) hereof. A five dollar ($5.00) fee for late registrations shall be assessed.

   (h)   A registration issued for a cat owned by an elderly person or a disabled person shall remain valid throughout the lifetime of the cat or until such elderly or disabled person ceases to own the cat, whichever period ends first. The elderly or disabled person owning such cat shall be responsible to have and keep such cat vaccinated in accordance with Section 1705.09 and shall inform the Commissioner of any change in the information provided to the Commissioner in accordance with subsection (c) hereof.

   (i)   Whoever violates any provision of this section is guilty of a fourth degree misdemeanor.

(Ord. 558-92. Passed 8-4-92.)

505.17. Prohibitions.

   (a)   Any cat not bearing a valid cat tag, or observed injuring or destroying the real or personal property of someone other than the owner or keeper of the cat, or known to create excessive noise or odor, or observed creating a danger to public health in the opinion of the Commissioner of the Division of Health, is declared to be a public nuisance and shall be impounded by the Animal Control Officer as provided in this chapter, in addition to any penalties which may be imposed upon the appropriate person under Section 505.09(c).

   (b)   The parent or guardian of any minor claiming ownership of or owning or keeping any cat shall be deemed to be the owner of such cat and shall be charged for all penalties and fees imposed by this chapter.

   (c)   Whoever violates any provision of this section is guilty of a fourth degree misdemeanor.

(Ord. 558-92. Passed 8-4-92.)

505.18. Impoundment.

   (a)   Any cat impounded shall be held by the Animal Control Officer, or designee, for not less than seventy-two hours, unless sooner released as provided in this chapter. The Animal Control Officer shall notify the owner of each cat impounded if the cat bears a cat tag and such owner's identity and address can be ascertained upon reasonable investigation. Such notice shall be given within twenty-four hours after such cat is impounded and shall inform the owner of the purpose or reason for such impounding and the requirements to permit release of the cat.

   (b)   The Animal Control Officer shall not release any cat to its owner until the owner has provided to the Commissioner proof of ownership of such cat, has paid an impounding fee of ten dollars ($10.00), has obtained a registration and cat tag as provided in this chapter, the cat has been properly vaccinated as provided in this chapter, according to its age, the owner has paid the cost of such vaccination if the vaccination is performed by the City, and the owner has paid the City's cost of kenneling the cat. Persons willing to adopt an impounded cat shall be allowed possession of the cat upon compliance with the foregoing conditions, except that no proof of ownership or impounding fee shall be required. The Animal Control Officer shall not knowingly allow adoption of any cat by a person or entity for purposes of the cat being used for fighting or exhibition or medical, scientific or other research or teaching, nor allow adoption of cats in such quantity as to produce a reasonable suspicion as to their intended use for such purposes.

   (c)   Any impounded cat remaining unclaimed or not redeemed at the expiration of seventy-two hours shall be deemed abandoned by its owner and may be destroyed in a humane manner, unless in the judgment of the Animal Control Officer a suitable home may be found for such cat, provided, however, no cat bearing a valid, unexpired cat tag shall be deemed abandoned until after the expiration of fourteen days from the time of impoundment.

   (d)   The Mayor, upon the recommendation of the Director of the Health Department, may solicit and, subject to the further approval of Council, accept proposals from outside agencies to enforce a part or all of the duties and responsibilities imposed by Sections 505.15 to 505.19.

(Ord. 558-92. Passed 8-4-92.)

505.19. Cat regulation fund.

   The funds received from the collection of registration fees, kenneling fees and impounding fees as authorized by this chapter shall be deposited daily with the Commissioner and shall be accounted for and be known as the Cat Regulation Fund and, when appropriated by Council, shall be available for the payment of the expenses of administering this chapter, operation of one or more animal pounds, operation of a low-cost spaying and neutering program and/or funding other programs for education of the public on animal issues and the control and protection of animals; provided, that a minimum of twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) or ten percent (10%) of the total annual amount collected from the aforementioned fees, whichever is less, shall be devoted to a program that provides a financial incentive or subsidy to cat owners to encourage the cat owners to spay or neuter their cats.

(Ord. 558-92. Passed 8-4-92.)

505.20. Wild or dangerous animals prohibited.

   (a)   It shall be unlawful for any person to keep, maintain, or have in his possession or under his control within the City of Toledo any dangerous animal as defined and listed in Section 505.21.

   (b)   Whoever violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree and each day that the violation exists constitutes a separate offense.

   (c)   Any wild animal not covered by this section must be physically confined to the owner’s property.

(Ord. 474-96. Passed 6-25-96.)