ARTICLE 10. DOG AND CAT IDENTIFICATION

2-1001. IMPOUNDMENT AND VIOLATION NOTICE.

(a)    Any animal at large in violation of this chapter may be taken by the police or permit authority and impounded in the animal shelter or at a designated holding place and be there confined in a humane manner pending further action pursuant to this chapter or other law. If an owner or keeper is present and able to take control of such animal, in lieu of impoundment a General Ordinance Summons may be issued to that person and the person may retain possession of the animal if it is the belief of the officer issuing such summons that such possession is not in conflict with any other provisions of this chapter.

(b)    Whenever any animal is confined by authority of this chapter, it shall be the duty of the permit authority to release the same upon satisfactory proof that the party claiming the animal is entitled to possession thereof and upon payment to the permit authority of all applicable fees required by this chapter.

(c)    A record of all dogs impounded shall be kept by the city containing the following information: color, sex, weight, height, identifying marks, registration number (if any) and the date of impoundment.

(Ord. 892, Art. 10, Sec. 1; Code 2004)

2-1002. NOTIFICATION OF CAPTURE AND IMPOUNDMENT.

After the impoundment of any animal where a General Ordinance Summons has not been issued to the owner or keeper the permit authority shall promptly notify the owner of such animal of its impoundment if the owner can be determined and located by reasonable investigation; however, no liability shall attach to the city or to the permit authority or staff for failure to give such notice. The owner of an impounded animal who does not redeem his or her animal shall still be proceeded against for violation of any applicable provision(s) of this or any other applicable ordinance. (Ord. 892, Art. 10, Sec. 2)

2-1003. LICENSE REQUIRED FOR DOGS AND CATS.

It shall be the duty of every person owning, keeping or harboring in the city any dog or cat which is over 90 days old or which is no longer with its dam to procure a license therefore from the permit authority or designee. The receipt issued for the license shall constitute a certificate of registry and evidence of Licensure for the keeping of such dog or cat within the city. (Ord. 892, Art. 10, Sec. 3)

2-1004. NONRESIDENTS.

Any other section of this chapter notwithstanding, the licensing provision of this article shall not apply to any nonresident owner or keeper of a dog or cat while such nonresident is passing through the city, provided such dog or cat shall remain on a leash or otherwise effectively physically restrained as in a closed vehicle. Dogs and cats of nonresidents need not be licensed during dog or cat shows or exhibitions. (Ord. 892, Art. 10, Sec. 4)

2-1005. LICENSE FEE, EXCEPTION.

For the issuance of each dog and cat license required by this chapter, the owner or keeper shall pay to the city such license fee in the amount of $15 or as is provided for in this chapter, except that when any such owner, keeper, or other applicant for such license shall submit such proof as may be required by the permit authority that a dog is fully trained, as a "seeing eye dog" or "hearing dog" and is regularly used in the service of a blind or deaf person or that a dog is owned by a governmental unit or other companion animals of disabled individuals, then such license shall be issued without the payment of such fee. If a certificate signed by a licensed veterinarian attesting that a dog or cat has been sterilized is submitted to the permit authority, a reduced fee shall be paid in the amount of $10 or as provided for in this chapter. Any animal that is tagged after December 31 of a given year shall receive the partial year license to expire April 30th for half of the regular price or $7 and $5 if sterilized. (Ord. 1317)

2-1006. LICENSING PERIOD.

The licensure evidenced by the certificate of registry shall entitle an owner or keeper to keep the licensed dog or cat in the city until the 30th day of April next following the date of issuance of the dog and cat license and certificate. (Ord. 892, Art. 10, Sec. 6)

2-1007. CERTIFICATE OF IMMUNIZATION — LICENSURE PREREQUISITE.

Before the permit authority issues any license or tag for a dog or cat, the owner or keeper thereof shall file with the permit authority a certificate from a licensed veterinarian showing that within 365 days next preceding the issuance of such license, the dog was immunized against rabies, distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parvo virus and that cat was immunized against rabies, distemper, pneumonitis and rhino tracheitis. The owner will also submit a signed certificate from a licensed veterinarian to the permit authority as to whether or not a dog or cat has been sterilized if it is desired to obtain a license at the lower rate applicable to sterilized animals. (Ord. 892, Art. 10, Sec. 7)

2-1008. DUTIES OF VETERINARIAN.

It shall be the duty of each veterinarian, when vaccinating any dog or cat to complete a certificate of rabies vaccination, in triplicate, for each animal vaccinated. The certificate shall include the following information:

(1)    Owner’s name and address.

(2)    Description of dog or cat (breed, sex markings, age, name).

(3)    Date of vaccination.

(4)    Rabies vaccination tag number.

(5)    Type of rabies vaccine administered.

(6)    Manufacturer’s serial number of vaccine.

Distribution of copies of the certificate shall be: The original will be forwarded to the permit authority; the first copy will be given to the owner and the issuing veterinarian will retain the second copy. Veterinarians shall retain their copies for the interval between vaccinations. (Ord. 892, Art. 10, Sec. 8)

2-1009. FALSE CERTIFICATE.

It shall be a violation for any veterinarian to prepare a veterinarian’s certificate required under this chapter by use of information known by the veterinarian to be false. It shall be a violation for any person to give false information to a veterinarian for use in the veterinarian’s preparation of any veterinarian’s certificate required under this chapter. (Ord. 892, Art. 10, Sec. 9)

2-1010. RECORDS OF DOG AND CAT REGISTRATION.

The permit authority shall keep a record giving the name and address of the owner or keeper of each licensed dog or cat and the number of the certificate of registry, together with a general description of the dog and cat. (Ord. 892, Art. 10, Sec. 10)

2-1011. LICENSE TAGS, REPLACEMENT TAGS.

At the time of the issuance of a license required by this chapter, the permit authority shall deliver therewith a license tag showing the registration number and expiration date of the license. The permit authority shall furnish a replacement license tag to any such owner or keeper upon application satisfactory to the permit authority and payment of $5. Any change in the form of license tag or tags used shall first be approved by the permit authority as suitable for dogs or cats or both. (Ord. 892, Art. 10, Sec. 112)

2-1012. WEARING OF LICENSE OR IDENTIFICATION TAGS REQUIRED.

(a)    No owner or keeper of any licensed dog or cat shall allow or permit such dog or cat to be outside the residence structure of said owner or keeper at any time other than when enclosed on all sides in a cage or covered run without having attached to a collar about the neck of such animal or to a secure body harness the license tag provided for in section 2-1011 or the identification tag provided for in section 21011 except when such dog or cat is being handled in the course or an organized training or exhibition program.

(b)    No person shall remove, or caused to be removed, the collar, harness or the license tag from any registered dog or cat without the consent of the owner or keeper thereof.

(Ord. 892, Art. 10, Sec. 12)