(A) The Animal Control Department shall take into custody any animal found at large in the city and shall impound the animal control unit as designated by the Animal Control Department or such other places as the Animal Control Officer may designate for the purpose of impoundment. Such impounded dog shall be held for a period of five days at the end of which time the animal shall be made available for adoption or other disposition as authorized.
(B) During the five-day impoundment period, the animal control department shall make diligent effort to determine the owner of such animal and notify the owner of such impoundment. If the owner of such animal fails or refuses to claim and repossess such animal by the payment of the proper fee as prescribed herein within such impoundment period, then the city Animal Control Department may deliver custody and possession of such animal to any person other than the owner upon the payment of the fee as prescribed in § 90.62 between the fifth day of such impoundment and the seventh day of such impoundment. Such owner shall be deemed to have relinquished all right, claims and ownership of such animal.
(C) (l) The Animal Control Department may, in its discretion, transfer title of all animals held at its animal control unit to the animal shelter after the impoundment period has expired and the animal has not been claimed by its owner or otherwise adopted.
(a) In the event of such transfer of title, the animal shelter shall pay for each animal’s food until it shall be removed from the animal shelter;
(b) Provide for the humane euthanasia of the animal after the impoundment period has expired and the animal has not been claimed by its owner or otherwise adopted; or
(c) Transfer title of all animals to a third party who may humanely euthanize the animal after the expiration of the impoundment period and the animal has not been claimed by its owner or otherwise adopted.
(2) The Animal Control Department shall be authorized to enter into any contract with any third party or maintain its own procedure for the humane euthanasia and the crematory disposal of the animal.
(D) When animals are found running at large and their ownership is known to the agents of the Animal Control Department, such animals need not be impounded but the agent may, in its discretion, cite the owners of such animals to appear in court to answer to charges of violation of this chapter.
(E) Animals other than dogs and cats shall be impounded when found running at large within the city limits and disposed of in accordance with this subchapter and other applicable law.
(F) Immediately upon impounding other animals, the agents of the Animal Control Department shall make every possible effort to notify the owners of the animals so impounded and inform them of the conditions under which they may gain custody of such animals.
(G) No unspayed female animal which has been impounded by reason of its running at large shall be allowed to be adopted from the animal shelter unless the prospective owner agrees to have such female spayed.
(H) Every female animal which has been impounded by reason of its running at large shall not be allowed to be adopted from the animal shelter unless the prospective owner agrees to have such female spayed.
(I) No wild animal may be kept within the city limits, except under such conditions as shall be fixed by the city; provided, however, that wild animals may be kept for exhibition purposes by circuses, zoos and educational institutions in accordance with such regulations as shall be established by the city.
(Ord. 14-09, passed 10-12-2009)