§ 6-27. Impoundment.

(a)

The animal control officer(s) may seize any domestic animal found not restrained and off the property of the owner or attendant.

(b)

The animal control officer(s) shall cause any seized animal to be impounded in the either at the animal shelter, a veterinary clinic, or rescue facility. Impounded domestic animals shall be confined in a humane manner for a period of not less than five calendar days, and thereafter may be adopted/transferred to a person/organization deemed to be responsible and suitable, or euthanized in a humane manner, if not claimed by their owners. If the animal is impounded at a facility other than animal control the fees associated with the stray hold will be made payable to the holding facility for all fees incurred.

(c)

To enforce the provisions of this section, an animal control officer, at his discretion, is empowered to go upon any premises to seize, for the purposes of impounding, any animal in accordance with this section, inclusive of the following:

(1)

Any animal control officer in pursuit of any animal not restrained may follow the animal onto private property to seize the animal if the animal is, in the judgment of the animal control officer, deemed a nuisance or a threat to public health and/or safety.

(2)

An animal control officer may impound any animal that constitutes a serious and imminent threat to public health and/or safety due to the likelihood of its escape from its restraint. The animal control officer shall leave notification of impoundment, setting forth the manner in which the animal may be redeemed. The owner shall be given sufficient time, but no more than five days, to repair or replace inadequacies required to prevent the animal from escape, should that be all that is necessary to resolve the situation, and redeem the animal. At the discretion of the animal control manager, the animal may be held at a veterinary hospital, animal rescue establishment, or at the animal shelter during impoundment under this section. If the owner fails to remedy the inadequacies within five days of the date of notice of impound, the animal shall become the property of the division of animal control.

(d)

If the impounded animal is wearing a collar bearing a tag showing the name and address of its owner, the animal control officer(s) shall immediately, by written or phone notification, notify the owner of the animal, at the address disclosed by the tag on the animal's collar, that the animal has been seized and impounded by it, and unless the owner or attendant of the animal shall, within five days from the receipt of the notice, claim the animal and pay the associated fees, it shall be adopted out or disposed of in a humane manner.

(e)

Additionally, if the ownership of an impounded animal is known to the animal control officer(s), the animal control officer(s), within a reasonable time after impounding the animal, shall make a reasonable effort to notify the owner or attendant of animal that the animal has been seized and impounded by it, and unless the owner or attendant of the animal shall, within five days of notice, claim the animal and pay the associated fees, it shall be adopted out or disposed of in a humane manner.

(f)

Wild animals may be impounded when found not restrained and disposed of in accordance with the law without the seven day impoundment requirement.

(g)

Feral animals shall be confined in a humane manner for a period of no less than three days and thereafter may be disposed of in a humane manner, if not claimed by its owners.

(h)

Any impounded seriously injured, seriously ill, or motherless non-weaned animal with no known owner may be, at the discretion of the animal control manager, or his designee in his absence, humanely euthanized immediately to prevent further suffering by the animal and the spread of illness to others housed at the shelter.

(i)

Owners requesting euthanasia for their animal shall fill out a euthanasia request and disposal form one per animal.

(j)

Upon impoundment of an animal that has no proof of current vaccinations, said animal may be vaccinated in an effort to protect said animal from diseases common to the species, and the owner or attendant of such animal shall be liable for a fee of $10.00 to the animal shelter.

(k)

Any animal, dog or cat, that has been surrendered by an owner/agent to the shelter may be euthanized, adopted or released to a rescue the same day as it was surrendered to the shelter.

(Ord. No. 15-12-1125-OR, 12-15-2015)