Colusa County Municipal Code Div. 3 Impounding and Rabies Control

(Ord. No. 197, § 10; Ord. No. 294, § 9; Ord. No. 420, § 1 (part); Ord. No. 569 (part))

There is hereby created and established in the county an office of animal control. The office of animal control shall have such deputies and assistants as the board of supervisors may from time to time provide, at such compensation as may be fixed by the board of supervisors by resolution. The board of supervisors shall from time to time make such provisions as they deem proper for the expenses incident to the enforcement of this article, for the transportation facilities of the office of animal control and for the expenses of impounding and feeding dogs and disposing of the same.

(Ord. No. 197, § 13; Ord. No. 294, § 11; Ord. No. 420, § 1 (part); Ord. No. 569 (part))

The office of animal control shall keep an accurate record of all fees, costs and mileage collected in the discharge of duties under this article, and shall pay all of such funds into the county treasury for deposit into the general fund of the county. The office of animal control shall deposit such moneys monthly and shall render with the money, as deposited, an itemized statement of collection, which statement shall be filed and preserved by the county auditor.

(Ord. No. 577)

The animal control office shall not sell or donate any animal, however obtained, to any person, business or organization, public or private, for the purpose of research.

(Ord. No. 254, § 1; Ord. No. 294, § 13; Ord. No. 420, §§ 1 (part) and 2; Ord. No. 569 (part))

The board of supervisors shall appoint by resolution the department head who is authorized and empowered to supervise and direct the office of animal control in the performance of duties. Such duties are as follows:

(a) Enforce all of the provisions of this article and all the laws of the state relating to the issuance of licenses, the impounding and destroying of the unlicensed dogs, and the impounding of any licensed dog found running at large in the county when the same is unlawful under the terms of this article;

(b) Destroy all dogs not redeemed by any person as provided by this article;

(c) Maintain and keep a pound or other place where dogs may be kept under restraint in a proper and sanitary manner, and feed and keep in a humane manner all impounded dogs. A dog impounded under the terms hereof shall be kept and maintained by the office of animal control for a period of seventy-two hours, after which, if a such dog is not redeemed or otherwise disposed of, it may be humanely destroyed by the office of animal control;

(d) Cooperate with the county health officer for the prevention of rabies, the quarantine of all dogs or other animals suspected of having rabies and, upon the certificate of a qualified physician or veterinarian, destroy any dog or other animal forthwith infected with rabies;

(e) The animal control officer(s) as designated are authorized, pursuant to the authority granted by Civil Code Section 607(g), to issue notices to appear in court for violation, within the unincorporated area of Colusa County, of any state or local animal control law.

(Ord. No. 197, § 16; Ord. No. 569 (part))

Any dog having no license tag attached to its collar as provided by section 3-20, whether a license shall have been issued for it or not, shall be seized and impounded by the office of animal control and be subject to all the penalties and requirements for redemption as provided by this article.

(Ord. No. 254, § 2; Ord. No. 294, § 19; Ord. No. 569 (part))

Any dog taken up and impounded under the terms of this article may be redeemed by the owner thereof within a period of seventy-two hours after such dog has been impounded upon the payment of such owner of all license fees due under this article, all vaccination fees due under this article, and fees for redemption, feed and mileage necessarily and actually traveled by the animal control officer(s) in the pursuing, catching and impounding of such dog, in accordance with the schedule of fees set by resolution of the board of supervisors.

(Ord. No. 197, § 19; Ord. No. 294, § 20; Ord. No. 420, § 1 (part); Ord. No. 569 (part))

It shall be the duty of the owner of any dog or other animal within the county to immediately notify the county health officer or the county public health administrator of any symptoms or acts of such dog or other animal which would lead a reasonable person to suspect that such dog or other animal has rabies, and it shall thereupon be the duty of the county health officer to quarantine such dog or other animal. The owner shall thereupon abide by all proper orders for the protection of the public by confining such dog or other animal or tying it up at the direction of the county health officer or her/his agents, for the period of time required by the county health officer or her/his agents, during which time she/he shall allow the county health officer or her/his agents to make an inspection or examination of the animal. If it shall appear to the county health officer that such dog or other animal has rabies, the animal control officer(s) is hereby authorized to kill the dog or other animal forthwith.

(Ord. No. 254, § 1; Ord. No. 288, § 1; Ord. No. 569 (part))

Every dog owner, after his dog attains the age of four months, shall at such intervals of time, not more often than once a year, as may be prescribed by the state department of public health, procure its vaccination by licensed veterinarian with a canine antirabies vaccine approved by and in a manner prescribed by the state department of public health. It shall be the duty of the animal control officer(s) to impound all dogs who have not been so vaccinated. A dog impounded pursuant to the terms hereof shall be kept and maintained by the office of animal control for a period of seventy-two hours. If such impounded dog is not vaccinated or caused to be vaccinated by the owner or agent of such owner pursuant to the provisions of Section 1920 of the Health and Safety Code and redeemed by the owner or agent of such owner from the office of animal control during the aforesaid seventy-two-hour period, such dog shall be humanely destroyed.

(Ord. No. 254, § 1; Ord. No. 294, § 22)

All dogs vaccinated while impounded may be redeemed upon payment of the fees provided for in the schedule of fees set by resolution of the board of supervisors, plus the cost of vaccination of such dog.

(Ord. No. 254, § 2)

All dogs who have been vaccinated pursuant to the provisions of Section 1920 of the Health and Safety Code or any amendments thereto shall have attached to their collar a metal tag showing the month and year of such vaccination. The absence of such metal tag attached to the collar of any dog shall be prima facie evidence that such dog has not been vaccinated pursuant to the provisions of Section 1920 of the Health and Safety Code.