(A) General requirements.
(1) All homeless cat colonies shall:
(a) Operate in such a manner as to not constitute a public nuisance; and
(b) Comply with all of the provisions of this chapter that provide standards for the general care of animals;
(2) Any person who provides food, water or shelter to a colony of homeless cats shall be registered with the Department of Animal Control or its designee.
(B) Managed homeless cats. The Department of Animal Control or its designee, in order to encourage the stabilization and reduction of the homeless cat population in the city, may:
(1) Trap any homeless cat in a humane manner;
(2) Have the homeless cat surgically sterilized and ear-tipped or tattooed by a licensed veterinarian;
(3) Release the homeless cat for adoption or other disposition in accordance with the law, or to a colony caretaker who will maintain the homeless cat as part of a managed colony of homeless cats.
(4) The Department of Animal Control may impound homeless cats in violation of this chapter and dispose of the homeless cats in accordance with applicable law.
(a) Any homeless cat impounded at the city animal shelter that bears an appropriate ear-tipping or tattoo indicating it belongs to a managed colony shall be returned to its managed colony, if the colony can be determined, unless illness or injury present an imminent danger to public health or safety.
(b) Seriously ill or injured homeless cats with no reasonable prognosis for humane rehabilitation for survival outdoors may be humanely euthanized.
(C) Colony caretaker responsibilities.
(1) Colony caretakers shall abide by standard trap-neuter-return guidelines devised by the Department of Animal Control or its designee regarding the provision of food, water, shelter and veterinary care to the managed colony.
(2) A colony caretaker shall not have ever been convicted of animal cruelty.
(3) A colony caretaker shall not allow a cat(s) that is part of his/her colony to become a public nuisance.
(Ord. 10-2008, passed 12-8-08) Penalty, see § 91.999