Sanger Municipal Code § 10-6 Impoundment fees

(a) The purpose of this section is the protection of the lives and health of the residents of the city by the elimination of breeding places for flies and other insects, pest and vermin and the spread of disease and filth by such agents.

(b) All premises upon which any animals are kept shall be subject to inspection at all times by the county health officer. The health officer shall make periodic inspections of such premises and must make such inspections within 24 hours when requested to do so by the city manager. Upon such inspections, should he discover flies in unreasonable or excessive numbers, he shall require further control through the use of insecticides, chemicals or other means.

(c) Refuse, offal, excrement and manure from animals shall not be permitted to accumulate on any premises in the city for periods in excess of ten days and must be removed from such premises at not more than ten-day intervals unless spread upon and buried in the earth.

(d) Subsection (c) of this section shall not apply to commercial supplies of fertilizer in dealer's stock, provided such supplies are packaged in flytight containers, nor to poultry pens or houses when the deep litter process is used within such poultry houses or pens.

(e) Pending its removal from the premises as required in subsection (c) of this section, refuse, offal, excrement or manure from animals shall be piled in a well-drained area on a base at least four inches above the surrounding levels to the end that stormwaters or surface waters will flow away from rather than into the pile.

(f) Dead animals and offal, pending its removal from the premises as required in subsection (c) of this section, must be kept in flytight containers.

(Code 1960, §§ 3.12, 3.14—3.18)

Violation of any provision of this chapter is an infraction punishable in accordance with section 1-7.

(Code 1960, § 3.11-1; Ord. No. 896, § 6(17), 10-7-93)

No person shall offer for sale, give away, bring into or maintain within the city any lion, tiger, bear, monkey, wolf, cougar, wildcat, skunk, venomous or other such wild animal (ferae naturae) irrespective of their actual or asserted state of docility, tameness or domesticity. The animal control authority or peace officer may impound any such animal and dispose of it in a humane manner after five working days to allow for legal restraining action by the owner. This section shall not apply to legally operated zoos or circuses unless the animal control authority shall give 48 hours' advance notice that by reason of inadequate caging or other means of protection of the public from such animal or by the ineffectiveness of sanitation measures or by a particular hazard connected with the animal or animals involved, the public health and welfare will be endangered.

(Code 1960, § 3.9; Ord. No. 896, § 6(18), 10-7-93)

The bringing or maintenance within the city of any animal in contravention of this chapter is, in addition to being an infraction, hereby declared to be a public nuisance and the animal control authority, peace officer and persons employed for animal regulation purposes are hereby authorized, directed and empowered to summarily abate any public nuisance by any means reasonably necessary, including, but not limited to, the destruction of the animal involved.

(Code 1960, § 3.10; Ord. No. 896, § 6(18), 10-7-93)

The animal control authority, peace officers and persons employed for animal regulation purposes shall attempt to capture animals found at large within the city and shall handle such animals as impounded animals. Any owner or custodian of an animal found at large in the city shall be in violation of this section and section 10-38. An animal is at large whenever it is elsewhere than on the premises of the owner or custodian of such animal and is found unattended.

(Code 1960, § 3.8)

(a) Redemption. No animal may be released by the animal control authority to the owner until all charges, costs of redemption, and the current year's license fees have been paid. The charges and costs of redemption of the impounded animal shall be established by resolution of the city council.

(b) Placement of animals. When an animal is sold by the animal control authority, pursuant to this chapter, all fees, charges and costs as set by resolution of the city council shall be paid; provided, however, the animal control authority may, upon proper determination and good cause, waive in whole or in part the foregoing placement fees, except the current year's license fees if such animal is unlicensed.

(c) Surrender. The surrender of an animal by the owner to the animal control authority subsequent to impoundment for a violation of this chapter or any provisions of state law shall not relieve the owner of the obligation to pay such charges as set forth in this section prior to such surrender, plus the accumulated boarding charges or those applicable charges set forth in this chapter.

(Code 1960, § 3.4; Ord. No. 896, § 6(18), 10-7-93)

A lien is hereby established against every animal impounded pursuant to the terms of this chapter to secure the fees, charges and costs defined in section 10-6.

(Code 1960, § 3.5)

An owner of an animal impounded as authorized by this chapter may redeem such animal by exhibiting to the poundkeeper any required license certificate or license tag or other satisfactory proof of ownership and by paying the charge provided for under section 10-6. If an animal is sold or released to a person other than the owner, the owner of such animal may, at any time within 30 days after such sale or release, redeem the same from such purchaser or other person by paying him the amount of the purchase price if any, plus the current daily maintenance fee from the date of such sale or release, to and including the date of redemption, except that no person may redeem an animal under this section if he was given written notice of such impoundment by the poundkeeper and failed for a period of five days after the mailing of such notice to redeem or release such animal from impoundment.

(Code 1960, § 3.6; Ord. No. 896, § 6(19), 10-7-93)

The animal control authority shall not be held liable for any animal that is impounded in violation of this chapter that escapes, is injured, or dies as a result of such impoundment.

(Code 1960, § 3.7)

The animal control authority shall keep any animal impounded for violation of the provisions of this chapter or turned over to him for disposal for the period of time hereinafter specified and may dispose of the same in accordance with the following provisions:

(1) Unlicensed dogs. Unless an unlicensed dog shall have been redeemed within 72 hours after being impounded it may be sold by the animal control authority, provided that the purchaser shall not be given possession of any such dog until he has secured a license for the same and has paid such fees as are required for redemption.

(2) Licensed dogs. Unless a licensed dog shall have been redeemed within 72 hours after impoundment, such dog may be sold by the animal control authority the same as an unlicensed dog. The animal control authority shall notify the registered owner of the dog of the impoundment of such dog. Notification shall be by mail to the address shown in the licensing records of the city, the notice to be given within 24 hours of impoundment.

(3) Stray cats. Unless a stray cat shall have been redeemed within 72 hours after being impounded, it may be sold by the animal control authority. At any time after the expiration of such period, the animal control authority may, unless the animal is redeemed or unless a bona fide home has been obtained for the animal, destroy it in a humane manner.

(4) Other animals. The animal control authority shall keep any other impounded animal for a period of at least 72 hours. At any time after the expiration of such period, the animal control authority may, unless the animal is redeemed or unless a bona fide home has been obtained for the animal, destroy it in a humane manner.

(5) Medical research. No animal shall be sold or otherwise disposed of for the purpose of medical research or other such commercial uses.

(Code 1960, § 3.20; Ord. No. 896, § 6(18), 10-7-93)

If the chief of police, or his/her designee, including the animal control officer, determines that there is sufficient cause to authorize the use of a cat trap to collect, identified feral cats in a given area, he/she shall set out the same for a time period not to exceed two weeks. Such trap may be set out only based on a documented written report based on a complaint from a resident which concludes that there are feral cats disturbing the peace, damaging private property and/or endangering domestic animals. Such written report shall be based upon investigation by the chief of police, or his/her designee, including the animal control officer. The trapping of feral cats shall be done in accordance with the following provisions:

(1) Use of cat trap. All cat traps shall be identified by a serial number. Traps shall be maintained and distributed under the control and supervision of the chief of police, or his/her designee, including the animal control officer in accordance with this section, any policies drafted thereunder, and the California Fish and Game Code.

(2) Use of traps. The chief of police, or his/her designee, including the animal control officer, shall have authority to set a cat trap according to the procedures as herein provided. The chief of police or his/her designee, including the animal control officer, shall personally inspect each privately-set trap at least once a day and collect any cats trapped in accordance with the procedures established herein.

(3) Holding of trapped cats. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, all trapped cats shall be held three days for reclamation by the owner. However, cats which are trapped and determined to be sick, injured or, by virtue of their age, cannot care for themselves may be destroyed earlier in a humane manner. In any event, at any time after expiration of such time period set out herein, the animal control officer may, unless the animal is redeemed or unless a bona fide home has been obtained for the animal, destroy it in a humane manner.

(4) Notice of trapping. When a cat is to be trapped, the owners or residents of all properties within 100 feet in any direction or two residential parcels from the cat trap shall be notified in writing by the animal control officer that a cat trap is being used at the given location. Such information noticed to the residents or owners in the area shall include information on who to contact for redeeming the animals or for information or concerns about the procedures.

(Ord. No. 960, § 1, 3-6-97)