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A. Dogs or cats not wearing a current city license and other animals found running at large anywhere in the city shall be taken by a police officer or animal control officer and impounded in the shelter designated as the area animal shelter. The animal shall be confined in a humane manner for a period of not less than 72 hours, unless sooner claimed by the owner, and may thereafter be disposed of in a humane manner or held for adoption. Dogs or cats wearing a current city dog or cat license which are found running at large in the city shall be impounded for not less than 120 hours and if not claimed by the owner or held for adoption shall then be disposed of in a humane manner.

B. When a dog, cat or other domestic animal is found at large and its ownership is known to the enforcement agents, the animal need not be impounded.

C. Upon impounding any animal, the animal control officers at the animal shelter shall make a reasonable effort to notify the owner, and to inform the owner of the conditions under which custody of the animal may be regained. The police or chief animal control officer or designated subordinate may file a complaint against the owner of any animal which has been impounded for being found annoying or running at large, and shall file a complaint against the owner of any animal found annoying or running at large if within the previous two years any animal owned by the owner has been previously impounded.

D. The above subsections notwithstanding, at the police officer’s discretion, an officer is authorized to kill any animal at large which, in the officer’s judgment, is deemed vicious or deemed to endanger any person or property. (Ord. 631 § 8, 2004; Ord. 432 § 6, 1991; Ord. 298 § 4, 1984)