Any person who shall suspect that any animal in the city is infected with rabies or hydrophobia, shall report such to the police of health authorities, describing the animal and giving the name of the owner, if known. If, upon examination by the health authorities, the dog shall prove in fact to be infected with said disease, the animal may be killed. When the health authorities have determined that an animal found in the city is infected with rabies or hydrophobia, the Mayor may, upon written advice from the health authorities that the public safety and general welfare require it, order by proclamation that all animals be muzzled when off the premises of the owner, and that all unmanned animals when found off the premises of the owner be immediately seized and impounded, and may further order that, after the proclamation has been published for 48 hours, either by posting or printing in a newspaper of general circulation in the city, all animals found off the premises of the owner unmuzzled shall be seized, impounded and killed, except that an officer may immediately kill any such unmuzzled animal, if with reasonable effort it cannot be first seized or impounded. All animals seized and impounded during the first 48 hours after the publishing of any such proclamation, shall, if claimed within 14 days, be returned to the owner thereof without any impounding charge or cost, if not infected with hydrophobia or rabies, or any animal known to have been bitten by an animal known to be infected with rabies or hydrophobia.
(Prior Code, § 11.02.11) (Ord. 367, passed - -; Ord. 709, passed - -; Ord. 731, passed - -)