A. Shelter: The city and/or the animal control officer may provide suitable premises and facilities to be used as an animal shelter where impounded animals can be adequately kept and supplied with food and humane care. It shall provide for the painless and humane destruction of animals where necessary, or it may furnish medical treatment for impounded animals and is empowered to charge the owner of the animal for this service.
B. Conditions Necessitating Impounding Without Complaint: The animal control officer is empowered to place all animals which he takes into custody in a designated animal impound facility. The following animals may be taken into custody by an animal control officer and impounded without the filing of a complaint:
1. Any animal being kept or maintained contrary to the provisions of this chapter;
2. Any animal running at large contrary to the provisions of this chapter;
3. Any abandoned animal;
4. Any vicious animal;
5. Any sick or injured animal whose owner cannot be located; and
6. Any animal to be held for quarantine.
C. Information Maintained: The impounding facility shall keep a record of any animal impounded and permanent impound records, which include the following information:
1. Complete description of the animal;
2. The manner and date of impound;
3. The location of the pick up and name of the officer picking up the animal;
4. The manner and date of disposal;
5. The name and address of the redeemer or purchaser;
6. The name and address of any person relinquishing an animal to the impound facility;
7. All fees received; and
8. All expenses accruing during impoundment.
D. Disposition: Animals shall be impounded for a minimum of seventy two (72) hours, excluding weekends and holidays, before further disposition, unless relinquished by the owner or custodian for the express purpose of destruction. Reasonable effort shall be made to notify the owner of any animal wearing a license or other identification during that time. Notice shall be deemed given when sent to the last known address of the listed owner.
E. Destruction: Any animal, except for those quarantined or confined by court order, held longer than the minimum impound period, and any animal voluntarily relinquished to the impound facility, may be destroyed or sold as the animal control officer shall direct. Any licensed animal impounded and having or suspected of having serious physical injury or contagious disease requiring medical attention, may, without waiting the minimum impound period, in the discretion of the animal control officer, be released to the care of a veterinarian or destroyed for humane reasons, provided consent be obtained in advance from the owner or custodian, if known and available.
F. Redemption: The owner of any impounded animal or his authorized representative may redeem such animal before disposition as provided in subsection E of this section, provided he pays:
1. The impound fee;
2. The daily board charges;
3. Veterinary costs incurred during the impound period, including rabies vaccination;
4. License fee, if required.
G. Fees For Impound: Impound fees shall be established by the city council. (Ord. 2015.04, 6-11-2015)