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HomeMy WebLinkAbout77-3-1402457 ORDINANCE NO. 77-3-1402 AN ORDINANCE PROVIDING FOR THE LICENSING OF ALL DOGS WITHIN THE CORPORATE LIMITS OF THE CITY OF PADUCAH, KENTUCKY; PROHIBITING DOGS FROM RUNNING AT LARGE WITHIN THE CORPORATE LIMITS OF THE CITY OF PADUCAH, KENTUCKY; AUTHORIZING THE IMPOUNDING AND DESTRUCTION OF DOGS; AND REPEALING ALL ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT THEREWITH. WHEREAS, in the opinion of the Board of Commissioners of the City of Paducah, Kentucky, dogs running at large constitute a hazard to persons and property and create a situation that is detrimental to the public health and safety of the citizens of this community; and WHEREAS, the numerous complaints that have been lodged with this Board during the "past several- months indicate there is a' need for the enactment and enforce- ment of a comprehensive dog law. NOW THEREFORE BE IT ORDAINED BY THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE 'CITY OF PADUCAH, KENTUCKY: SECTION 1. DEFINITION OF TERMS., As used in this ordinance, unless the context otherwise indicates, (a) "Dog" shall be intended to mean both male and female. (b) "Owner" shall be intended to mean any person or persons, firm, association or corposation, owning, keeping or harboring a dog. (c) "At Large" shall be intended to mean not restrained by leash, cord, chain or otherwise confined in an enclosure. SECTION 2. LICENSE AND REGISTRATION REQUIRED. All dogs kept, harbored, or maintained by their owners in the City of Paducah, Kentucky shall be licensed and registered if over six (6) months of age. Dog licenses shall be issued by the City Treasurer upon payment of a license tax of $1. -00 -per dog. The owner shall state at the time the application is made for such license and upon printed forms provided for such purpose his name, address, and the name, breed, color and sex of each dog owned or kept by him. The provisions of this section shall not be intended to apply to dogs whose owners are non-residents temporarily within the City (ninety days or less) , nor to dogs brought into the City for the purpose of participating in any dog show, nor to "seeing eye" dogs properly trained to assist blind persons when such dogs are actually being used by blind persons for the purpose of aiding them in going from place to place. SECTION 3. TERM OF LICENSE. The required license shall be good for the calendar year in which it is purchased, provided, however, that for a renewal of the license for a previously licensed dog there shall be a grace period to and including 458 March 31 for providing a reasonable time for obtaining a new license. SECTION 4. CITY RETAINED VETERINARIANS. The City Manager is hereby authorized to retain a sufficient number of veterinarians to inoculate dogs and to issue the license therefor, and the veterinarians shall receive for his services the sum of $4.00 for each dog inoculated by him. Each veterinarian so employed shall deposit with the City Treasurer the sum of $1.00 for each license obtained by him. Upon payment to him of a license fee of $4.00 it shall be the duty of the veterinarian to inoculate such dog and deliver to the owner the license tag issued by the City together with a certificate showing that such dog has been immunized against rabies. Any license tag or tags which are not are not used maybe returned by the veterinarian to the City Treasurer who shall return to the veterinarian the sum of $1.00 for each unused tag. SECTION 5. PRIVATE VETERINARIANS. Any owner or keeper of a dog or dogs who prefers to have the inoculation done by a veterinarian not retained by the City may, by furnishing the City Treasurer with a certificate of a licensed veterinarian that such dog or dogs have been immunized against rabies and by paying a fee of $1.00 for each dog which has been inoculated, obtain a license therefore. SECTION 6. TAG AND COLLAR. Upon payment of the license fee, the owner shall be issued a license tag which shall be fastened to the collar of the dog and shall be worn continuously, and- if they are to have such tag so attached shall subject the owner or keeper thereof to the penalties provided herein. SECTION 7. RUNNING AT LARGE PROHIBITED. It shall be unlawful for the owner or keeper of any dog, either licensed or unlicensed, to allow such dog to be at large within the City limits and not restrained by a leash or confined in an enclosure. SECTION 8. IMPOUNDING; DUTIES OF DOG WARDEN AND POLICE .OFFICERS . It shall be the duty of every police officer and city dog warden to apprehend .any dog found running at large contrary to provisions of this ordinance and , to impound such dog in a City pound or other suitable place. The dog warden (or other --designated person) upon receiving any dog shall make a complete registry, entering..the breed_, color, and sex of such dog and whether licensed. If licensed, he shall enter the name and address of the owner and the number of the license tag. It shall further be the duty of every police officer and dog warden to obtain the name of the owner or keeper of any dog seen running at large and to obtain a summons for the owner's appearance in Police Court for violation of this ordinance. Upon any police officer or dog warden observing a dog which he has reasonable or just cause to believe is running at large contrary to the provisions of this ordinance, said police officer or dog warden, in pursuit of said dog, shall be and is authorized to enter upon any premises, excluding residences or outbuildings, whether public or private, for purposes of apprehending said dog. 459 SECTION 9 . REDEMPTION AND RELEASE. Any dog found at large shall be subject to be seized, and impounded by the City of Paducah and any such dog not claimed and his release has not been procured within seven (7) days after its seizure., shall be subject to be disposed of in such a manner as may be determined by the City Manager. Upon presentation _of release by the Police Court of the City of Paducah any dog may be redeemed and released to its owner or keeper within seven (7) days after being taken up -and impounded, upon paying of the following fees: ..A redemption fee of $15.00 shall be paid for the first time a dog is redeemed, but for each subsequent redemption of an individual dog the redemptionfee shall be $25.00. The sum of $3.00 shall be due and payable for each day or part of a day a dog is kept in the pound, and a "day" shall mean. a calendar day beginning one second after midnight. If any dog so released has not been licensed, the sum of $4.50 shall be charged for inoculation and license. SECTION 10. DISPOSITION OF LICENSE FEES AND FINES. All license fees and fines shall be paid into the treasury of the City of Paducah to become a part of its general fund for public purposes, and all redemption fees shall be paid to the Humane Society to be applied against their costs of operation. SECTION 11. PENALTY. Any person being the owner or keeper of a dog who fails to license such dog as required by this Article and permits such dog to be at large, shall upon conviction, be fined not less than $15.00 or more than $50.00 for such offense. SECTION 12. REPEAL OF CONFLICTING ORDINANCES. Sections 4-18, 4-19, 4-20, 4-21, 4-22, 4-23, 4-24, 4-25, 4-26 and 4-27 of Article II of Chapter 4 of the Code of Ordinances are hereby repealed. SECTION 13. SEPARABILITY PROVISIONS. It is the intention of the Board of Commissioners that each separate provision of this ordinance shall be deemed independent of all other provisions herein, and it is further the intention of the Board of Commissioners that if any provision of this ordinance be declared invalid, all other provisions thereof shall remain valid and enforceable. SECTION 14. EFFECTIVE DATE. This ordinance shall be introduced and remain on file for one week for public inspection in the completed form in which it shall be put upon its final passage, and if adopted shall be in full force and effect ten (10) days thereafter. Introduced by the Board of Commissioners March 8, 1977 Passed by the Board of Commissioners March 22, 1977 Recorded by Louise McKinney, City Clerk, March 22, 1977. Mayor