A. Animals at large and nuisance animals, with the exception of farm animals, shall be taken by the police or enforcement officer and impounded in an animal shelter and there be confined in a humane manner. At the discretion of the enforcement officer, farm animals may be seized and sold as stray animals.

B. An enforcement officer shall have the right to enter upon private property in order to apprehend any animal that has been running at large. Such entrance shall be in reasonable pursuit of such animal and will not include entry into a domicile unless it be at the invitation of the occupant.

C. While attempting to impound, or during the impoundment period, if such animal is extremely ill, severely injured or excessively vicious, it may be slain by the enforcement officer or authorized agent. If possible, the animal shall be euthanized as described below.

D. Impounded animals shall be kept for no fewer than the minimum time limits established by A.R.S. Section 11-1013.

E. If, by tag, brand or other obvious identification, the owner of an impounded animal can be identified, the enforcement officer shall immediately upon impoundment notify the owner personally or by certified mail. An animal without such identification shall be deemed unowned.

F. An owner reclaiming an impounded animal shall pay an impound fee as established by an animal shelter contracted by the city for each day the animal is impounded, including the day the animal was impounded and the day the animal is reclaimed.

G. If the reclaimed animal is unlicensed, the owner must pay the impound fees and sign an owner release agreement. The owner shall obtain a license within five working days after the animal is released from impoundment.

H. Any animal not reclaimed by its owner within the time limits identified in A.R.S. Section 11-1013 shall become the property of the local government authority or humane society and shall be placed for adoption in a suitable home or humanely euthanized by sodium phenobarbital or a derivative of FP-3 or T-61 only.

I. The provisions of A.R.S. Section 11-1022 shall govern the release of unclaimed animals for adoption and mandatory sterilization of impounded dogs and cats.

J. In addition to, or in lieu of, impounding an animal found at large, the police or enforcement officer may issue to the known owner of such animal a notice of violation. Such notice shall impose upon the owner a penalty of $25.00, to be paid within 96 hours.

K. The owner of an impounded animal may also be proceeded against for violation of this chapter. [Code 2006 § 6-1-4. Ord. 2011-10 § 1(A), 10-11-2011; Ord. 2017-05 § 1, 8-8-2017; Res. 2017-18 Exh. A, 8-8-2017; Ord. 2019-01 § 1, 2-26-2019; Res. 2019-02 Exh. A, 2-26-2019. Formerly 6.05.040].