§ 5-77. Requirements of dangerous dog owners.

(a)

An owner of a dog determined to be dangerous, must comply with all of the following ten (10) requirements before the subject dog can be released to the owner by the department. The department must, however, release the dog to the owner if a state licensed veterinarian with a facility located within the city verifies, upon being contacted by a city veterinarian or department, that the owner has arranged for the required surgery of the dangerous dog to comply with this article, and if necessary, a city veterinarian has implanted the required registered microchip in the dog, has inspected the residence where the dog is to be kept, and is satisfied that the following requirements which could have already been complied with have been complied with by the owner:

(1)

The dog must be registered with the department and shall annually obtain a dangerous dog permit;

(2)

The dangerous dog shall at all times wear a collar approved by the department visible at fifty (50) feet so that the dog can be identified as a dangerous dog. The department is authorized to charge the dog owner a fee to cover the cost of this collar;

(3)

The dangerous dog must be kept in an enclosure as defined in section 5-1 of this chapter;

(4)

The owner must present to the department a certificate of public liability insurance in the amount of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00) to cover any injuries caused by the dangerous dog. The insurance shall be kept in effect continuously and shall not be cancelled unless the dog is no longer kept by the insured owner;

(5)

The dangerous dog, when taken outside the enclosure, must be securely muzzled in a manner that will not cause injury to the dog nor interfere with its vision or respiration, but shall prevent it from biting any person or animal; and the dangerous dog must be restrained by a sturdy leash six (6) feet in length. The department is authorized to charge the dog owner a fee to cover the cost of this leash;

(6)

The owner shall post a sign on his premises warning that there is a dangerous dog on the property. This sign shall be visible and capable of being read from the public street or highway. In addition, the department shall design and produce a uniform dangerous dog symbol or decal, understandable by small children which shall be made available at cost to the public. Such symbol or decal must be displayed on or about the sign;

(7)

If the dog does not have a registered microchip, the owner shall authorize the department to implant a registered microchip beneath the skin of the dangerous dog for positive identification of the animal;

(8)

At the owner's expense, the dangerous dog must be spayed or neutered either by the department or, at the discretion of the department, by a veterinarian approved by the department prior to being released back to its owner;

(9)

At the owner's expense, the owner must attend a class on responsible pet ownership conducted by an organization approved by the department within two (2) months after the determination; and

(10)

The owner must allow an annual inspection of the residence where the dog is kept to ensure continued compliance with all requirements of this section. More frequent inspections may be conducted in response to specific complaints regarding non-compliance with this section.

(b)

If the owner of a dog determined to be dangerous is unable or unwilling to comply with the ownership requirements listed above at anytime, the dog must be euthanized by an animal shelter, animal care agency, licensed veterinarian or the department.

(Ord. No. 2017-10-05-0755 , § 1, 10-5-17)