Shafter Municipal Code Ch. 6.20 Impoundment

The animal control officer, police officer, other authorized personnel, charged with the enforcement of this chapter, shall capture and may impound any dog found within the city limits which is not wearing a current license issued by any other municipality in the county of Kern or by the county of Kern, or which is not wearing a current license issued by the city of Shafter.

(Ord. 606 § 1 (part), 2007)

The animal control officer, police officer, other authorized personnel shall have the right to enter upon any private or public property in the city in order to examine or capture any dog thereon or therein. The animal control officer, police officer, other authorized personnel shall not have the right to enter a house, which is used as a residence without first having secured a search warrant.

(Ord. 606 § 1 (part), 2007)

Not later than twenty-four hours after the impounding of any animal, the owner shall be notified of the impoundment of the owned animal, or if the owner is unknown, a true and faithful record of all animals taken into custody shall be kept conspicuously posted at the animal shelter.

A. Records shall include an impound number, a description of the animal, the date of the impoundment and a date and manner of disposition.

B. All animals shall be provided the necessary care and sustenance required and no animal shall suffer cruel treatment or neglect. No mark or tattoo shall be altered while in custody. All animals shall be checked for identifying microchips by the approved method of scanning.

(Ord. 606 § 1 (part), 2007)

An owner of any animal impounded may, at any time before the sale or other disposition, redeem the animal by paying the city of Shafter all required fees and charges, including but not limited to license fees.

(Ord. 606 § 1 (part), 2007)

In accordance with Sections 30804.7 and 31751.7 of the Food and Agriculture Code, the owner of any nonspayed or unneutered dog or cat that is impounded shall be fined as follows:

A. First occurrence: thirty-five dollars;

B. Second occurrence: fifty dollars;

C. Third and subsequent occurrences: one hundred dollars.

(Ord. 606 § 1 (part), 2007)

The animal control officer, police officer, other authorized personnel shall charge proposed fees for animal control services, including adoption, impoundment, food and care, in accordance with the fee schedule as established by the Shafter city council.

(Ord. 606 § 1 (part), 2007)

All animals shall be held a minimum of four full working days, not counting the day picked up, before any sale or other disposition occurs, except:

Any cat determined to be feral, may after three days be humanely disposed of because they pose a particular safety hazard for shelter employees and it is cruel to cage feral cats for long periods of time.

(Ord. 606 § 1 (part), 2007)

A. It is unlawful for any person to keep, abandon or turn loose without care any animal suffering distress from disease, injury, or other infirmity. Any such animal taken up by the animal control officer, police officer, other authorized personnel may be euthanized.

B. This section shall not apply to persons keeping diseased, injured, or infirm animals, which are under medical care from a veterinarian. A written statement prepared by a veterinarian shall be deemed sufficient evidence of such care.

(Ord. 606 § 1 (part), 2007)

The owner of any animal, which dies, shall dispose of the animal in a manner so as not to create a nuisance or health hazard by contacting the animal control officer to inquire as to the appropriate arrangements. Whenever a dead animal is discovered within the city limits, which has not been properly disposed of, the animal control officer, police officer, other authorized personnel shall order its owner to dispose of it properly. If the order is not promptly obeyed, the animal control officer, police officer, other authorized personnel shall collect from its owner the reasonable cost of the disposal of the animal. In the event the owner of the animal is unknown, the animal control officer, police officer, other authorized personnel shall remove and dispose of the animal.

(Ord. 606 § 1 (part), 2007)

A. The animal control officer, police officer, other authorized personnel shall charge, in addition to any impound or license fees, a deposit for vaccination of any impounded dog which has not been vaccinated against rabies, and shall issue a separate receipt to the person paying them.

B. All sums received by the animal control officer, police officer, other authorized personnel shall be deposited in the city finance office forthwith and shall be kept in a separate account or trust fund, which may be appropriately designated and provided for by the city council.

C. A vaccination deposit shall be collected by the animal control officer, police officer, other authorized personnel in accordance with the fee schedule as established by the Shafter city council.

D. The receipt referred to in subsection A of this section shall contain the following statement:

Any licensed veterinarian accepting this receipt in payment for the rabies vaccination of any dog shall be reimbursed by the City of Shafter a sum not to exceed the amount shown hereon upon presentation of this receipt to the City finance office or any person designated by the City Council to pay such claims.

E. Veterinarians who accept receipts in payment for rabies vaccinations of dogs shall, upon presenting receipts and claim forms approved by the city finance office shall be entitled to payment from the city finance office of the amount stated on the receipt.

(Ord. 606 § 1 (part), 2007)

If the animal control officer, police officer, other authorized personnel picks up any cat or dog at the request of the owner, or if the owner of a cat or dog brings the owned animal to the animal shelter for the purpose of destroying or disposing of the same, the animal control officer, police officer, other authorized personnel shall charge and collect a fee in accordance with the fee schedule established by the Shafter city council.

(Ord. 606 § 1 (part), 2007)