§ 5-31. Animal services division manager.

(a)

The county mayor, pursuant to the county's Charter, shall employ a division manager to administer and enforce the provisions of this article.

(b)

The manager of the animal services division shall have operational responsibility for overseeing and supervising all day-to-day activities of the division.

(c)

Pursuant to law, the division manager and animal services officers may enter upon public and private property, except residential buildings, to administer and enforce the provisions of this article.

(d)

The division manager and animal services officers shall investigate formal complaints of alleged violations of this article and shall issue citations or warning notices requiring that violations cease or be corrected. The division manager or his/her designee shall endeavor to report back to the person filing the complaint within forty-eight (48) hours regarding the outcome of the investigation and shall record the effort to make such report.

(e)

Formal complaints shall be investigated. An officer who observes a violation may take any remedial action the officer deems necessary, including issuing citations.

(1)

To initiate an animal services investigation, an oral or written statement of complaint must be provided to the animal services division setting forth the nature of the complaint, the date and time of the act, a description of the animal and the name of the owner of the animal, if known by any person who reports an alleged violation of this article.

(f)

The division manager and animal services officers may capture, seize or pick up:

(1)

Any animal at large;

(2)

Any domestic animal constituting a nuisance;

(3)

Any dangerous or potentially dangerous dog not in compliance with the written notification of their classification;

(4)

Any dog being considered for dangerous or potentially dangerous classification;

(5)

Any female dog or cat in heat, not properly confined by the owner or keeper;

(6)

Any neglected, abused, cruelly treated, sick or injured animal or animal at risk of injury or death;

(7)

Any animal for the purpose of quarantine or rabies testing as ordered by the state department of health;

(8)

Any animal deemed to be abandoned; and

(9)

Any animal released to the county by a veterinarian or a law enforcement official.

(g)

The division manager and animal services officers may impound any animal captured, seized or picked up pursuant to this article. However, the division manager or animal services officers shall make a reasonable effort to determine who owns an animal prior to impoundment. If the animal is returned to the owner without impoundment, the animal services officer shall issue a warning or a citation for the applicable violation.

(h)

The division manager may waive fees or citations for hardship or extenuating circumstances.

(Code 1965, § 3-8; Ord. No. 87-9, § 8, 3-9-87; Ord. No. 91-8, § 7, 4-2-91; Ord. No. 95-32, § 4, 9-26-95; Ord. No. 2005-07 , § 4, 7-12-05)