(a) Every owner of any dog over six months of age shall annually register with the City Clerk his or her name and address with the name, sex, and description of each dog owned and kept within the city. It shall be unlawful for the owner of any newly acquired dog or any dog brought into the city to fail to register such animal within 30 days from acquisition or bringing the dog into the City. It shall be unlawful for the owner of any previously registered dog to fail to maintain current registration of such dog.
(b) Upon registration, the owner shall present a current, completed certificate of immunization against rabies from an accredited veterinarian. No registration shall follow without evidence of this document, and it shall be unlawful for the owner of any dog over six months of age to fail to maintain effective rabies immunization of such dog.
(c) The owner or keeper of any dog shall, at the time of registering such dog, present to the City Clerk a certificate from an accredited veterinarian showing if the dog has been spayed or neutered.
(d) The City Clerk shall collect an annual registration fee of $5.00 for each dog, whether male or female, spayed or neutered. Every owner or keeper of dog or dogs who fails to register the same prior to the 1st day of April of each year shall pay in addition to the registration fee herein provided a penalty fee of an additional $1.00 for each late registration. The registration year shall be from January 1st thru December 31st of each year. The fee shall be payable before April 1st of each year without penalty.
(e) A dog kennel shall be defined as any property and/or building harboring five (5) or more dogs and/or puppies. No Kennel licenses shall be issued within the City Limits. No more than four (4) dogs or puppies over the age of six (6) months are allowed on any one property or in any building within the City Limits of the City of Clifton.
(Ord. 333; Ord. 424; Code 2016; Ord. 447)
It shall be the duty of the City Clerk or designated agent, upon showing of current rabies immunization and receipt of the registration fee hereinbefore required, to deliver to the owner or keeper of the dog a certificate in writing, showing payment of registration fee, tag number issued, description of dog registered under tag number and registration year. It shall be the duty of the owner or keeper to attach the tag to the collar worn by the dog. If tag is lost, the owner may request a duplicate tag for the remainder of the registration period. The fee for a duplicate tag shall be $1.00. It shall be unlawful for any person to take off or remove the City tag from any dog or remove the strap or collar on which the same is fastened. It shall be unlawful for any person to place on any dog a tag issued for any other dog or to use a counterfeit tag or imitation thereof.
(Ord. 424; Code 2016)
(a) It shall be unlawful for the owner or keeper of any dog to permit such dog to run at large within the City at any time.
(b) Any dog running at large within the City limits shall be impounded as set out in section 2-204.
(c) The owner of any dog impounded for running at large shall, for the first offense, receive a warning. The dog shall be impounded pursuant to section 2-204, and every attempt shall be made to find the owner of said dog. Each owner must have or obtain a proper registration license for said dog, prior to claiming said dog. If the owner of said dog is not found within three (3) days, the dog will be transferred to a licensed shelter and shall be subject to whatever fees the shelter may require in order to re-claim said dog.
(d) On the second and subsequent offences, the owner of said dog shall be charged a fine pursuant to the current City Fee Schedule, plus the board bill.
(e) All fines and fees shall be paid in cash, during regular City business hours.
(f) Owner surrender of dogs shall be made during regular City office hours and at the convenience of the Public Works Operators.
(Ord. 234; Ord. 333; Ord. 336; Ord. 424; Ord. 441; Code 2016)
(a) Any dog found in violation of the provisions of this article shall be subject to impoundment by the City.
(b) No dog impounded shall be disposed of until after expiration of a minimum of three full business days of custody during which the public has clean access to inspect and recover the dog during usual business hours. If possible, the owner or keeper of any dog impounded will be contacted if said person is known or reasonably ascertainable. If within three full business days, the owner or keeper does not appear to claim the dog, the dog may be sold or euthanized.
(c) If at any time before the sale or destruction of any dog impounded under the provisions of this article, the owner of an impounded dog does appear to claim the animal, it shall be turned over to the person claiming it upon payment to the City of all impoundment fees, boarding fees, pick-up charges and registration fees. No dog impounded will be released without a current rabies vaccination.
(d) Impoundment hereunder shall not preclude any court from imposing and executing any fine within might otherwise be levied under this article for violation of any of the provisions thereof.
(e) The redemption of any dog impounded for a violation of any provision shall be prima facie evidence of such provision by the person redeeming the dog.
(Ord. 424; Code 2016)
If any dog is not redeemed by its owner or keeper within the time allowed for redemption as specified in Section 4 thereof, any authorized veterinarian or authorized pound personnel may destroy such dog in a humane way or sell the same for the costs of boarding and pick-up charges plus any registration fee due for the current year.
(Ord. 424; Code 2016)
Any person, whether owner or keeper, violating the provisions of this article shall upon conviction thereof, be fined in an amount not to exceed One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) or by imprisonment for not more than ten (10) days, or by both such fine and imprisonment except for section 2-203 which set forth the fines for allowing dogs to run at large violations.
(Ord. 424; Code 2016)