§ 6-82. Redemption of impounded animals.

(a)

The person entitled to the possession of any animal delivered to the animal control center shall be entitled to have the animal delivered to him at the animal control center upon presentation of satisfactory evidence of ownership and payment of the following charges and fees as applicable, provided such animal is not infected or reasonably believed to be infected with rabies or any other infectious or contagious disease:

(1)

Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, a fee shall be charged for the impoundment of any animal as may from time to time be established by city council, as reflected in the fee schedule maintained in the officer of the city secretary. No impoundment fee shall be charged for the first seventy two (72) hours for dogs, cats or other small animals delivered to the animal control center by the owner, or for dogs, cats or other small animals placed in custody of the animal control center because the owner of the animal has been arrested and is in the custody of the state.

(2)

Purchase of a license as provided hereinabove if a dog or cat has no valid license.

(3)

Reasonable expenses for the treatment of the animal for injury or illness. Any veterinarian whose services are enlisted by the animal control center is hereby specifically authorized to treat an animal for injury or illness when such treatment is found to be reasonably necessary in his judgment.

(b)

The animal control officer is hereby empowered to offer for sale any and all healthy animals impounded under the terms of this article and not redeemed within three (3) days, and to sell the same for the amount of the accrued fees against such animal. The person entitled to the possession of any animal shall be entitled to redeem the same upon paying the purchaser double the amount paid by him for such animal and his reasonable expenses for keeping the same. Any animal not so redeemed within fifteen (15) days from the date of the sale shall become the absolute property of the purchaser.

(c)

No animals which have been taken to the animal control center shall be redeemed or sold unless they are vaccinated for rabies, except in such instances where the appropriate official has been furnished with satisfactory proof and evidence that such animal has been inoculated with a rabies vaccine approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Veterinary Biologics Division, and that such immunization will not expire within the licensing year in which such animal is to be released.

(d)

The owners of all animals impounded in the animal control center shall be required to redeem the same as provided for in subsection (a) hereof and shall not be permitted to purchase such animal in lieu of paying the redemption fee.

(e)

It is hereby declared unlawful to remove animals from the animal control center except in accordance with the procedures established herein and the regulations established by the department.

(f)

Any dog or cat impounded in the animal control center that is claimed by the owner that has not been inoculated for rabies in accordance with such section due to illness, will be delivered to any veterinary hospital within the city, upon request of the owner thereof, for further treatment, provided, the veterinarian operating such veterinary hospital agrees to vaccinate such animal for rabies prior to releasing the animal from the veterinary hospital, and provided further, that such veterinarian also agrees to furnish a certificate evidencing the vaccination to the animal control center within ten (10) days of the release of the animal.

(Ord. No. 528-8, § 1, 11-11-13)