2017-064 Ordinance - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

(b) Vicious and/or Dangerous Animals. The Director of Public Safety may enter an order declaring any animal to be a "vicious animal" and/or "dangerous animal" which qualifies as defined in subsection (a) (2) and/or (3) hereof. (1) The Director of Public Safety shall cause a copy of his order served upon the owner of any animal declared to be a vicious and/or dangerous animal, notifying them of such designation. The order shall further specify the reasonable steps to be taken to properly house, confine, and control the animal. (2) Any owner of a declared vicious or dangerous animal may appeal the Director's orders and the conditions imposed by the order to the Mayor within five days of being served with such order. (c) Notification Procedure for "Vicious Animals" and/or "Dangerous Animals". The Director of Public Safety shall cause written notice to be served upon the owner of any suspected "vicious animal," and/or "dangerous animal" notifying them of the nature of the complaint against the animal and the time, date, and location of the Determination Hearing required by subsection (d) hereof. Such notice shall further specify the appropriate means of confinement for the animal pending the issuance of findings from the Determination Hearing. The place of confinement may be, if suitable in the opinion of the Director of Public Safety, the premises of the owner, a veterinary hospital, a boarding kennel, the City Kennel, or an animal shelter approved by the Director of Public Safety. The Director of Public Safety may order and cause the animal to be removed from the premises of the owner, harborer or keeper, and placed in a suitable place of confinement without the permission of the owner. All animals held in confinement shall be boarded and cared for at the expense of the owner. If an animal is kept at the City Kennel, charges shall be assessed against the owner in accordance with the provisions of Section 505.02 and 505.14. (d) Determination Hearing for "Vicious Animals" and "Dangerous Animals". A Determination Hearing shall be conducted by the Director of Public Safety whenever there is a cause to believe that an animal may be a "vicious animal" and/or "dangerous animal" as described in subsection (a)(2) and/or (3) hereof. (1) The Determination Hearing shall be conducted within ten days after serving notice to the owner. (2) The Director of Public Safety shall determine whether to declare the animal to be a "vicious animal" and/or "dangerous animal" based upon evidence and testimony presented at the time of the hearing by the owner, witnesses to any incident(s) which may be considered germane to such determination, City personnel, police, or any other person possessing information pertinent to such determination. (3) If the Director of Public Safety determines that the animal is a "vicious animal" and/or "dangerous animal" he may order the following: A. The animal may be ordered destroyed by a suitable and humane method at the expense of the owner. B. The animal may be ordered confined permanently under any conditions which the Director of Public Safety determines sufficient to protect the public and/or other domestic animals. (4) The Director of Public Safety shall either dismiss the complaint or enter an order declaring the animal to be a "vicious animal" and/or "dangerous animal" within three days after the completion of the Determination Hearing.