CHAPTER II. ANIMAL CONTROL AND REGULATIONCHAPTER II. ANIMAL CONTROL AND REGULATION\ARTICLE 1. DOGS

It shall be unlawful for any person to own, keep or harbor any dog within the corporate limits of the City of Moundridge, Kansas, without first having paid a yearly license tax thereon.

(Ord. 720; Code 2012)

Any person who shall allow any dog to remain habitually, or to lodge, or to be fed within his home, business premises, yard, enclosure or place, shall be deemed and considered to be keeping and harboring said dog within the meaning of this ordinance.

(Ord. 720; Code 2012)

It shall be the duty of the owner, keeper or harborer of any dog over six months of age to register the same with the City Clerk, who shall issue a receipt there for in the form of a tag of metal or other durable material having stamped or engraved thereon the registration number and the year of registration, which tag shall be attached to a suitable collar and kept on the dog at all times.

(Ord. 720; Code 2012)

All dogs over six months of age within the corporate limits of the City of Moundridge shall be vaccinated or inoculated with a recognized anti-rabies vaccine and the owner, keeper or harborer of any dog shall cause such vaccinations to be repeated with such frequency as may be necessary to maintain the effectiveness of such inoculation at all times.  Any person making application for a license for a dog shall be required to present to the City Clerk at the time of making such application, a certificate issued by a licensed veterinarian showing that such dog has been vaccinated or inoculated with anti-rabies vaccine and that such inoculation is currently effective.

(Ord. 720; Code 2012)

There is hereby levied upon the owner, keeper or harborer of any dog within the corporate limits of the City of Moundridge an annual tax in the sum of $3.00 for each dog over six months of age. The license tax herein levied shall cover the period from January 1 to December 31 or any part thereof each year. Such license tax shall be due and payable on the first day of January of each year, or on the first day of the month following the acquisition of the dog, and shall be paid not later than sixty days thereafter. If such license fees are not paid at the time herein provided, a penalty of $10.00 shall be added to the license tax. Any dog impounded that has no tags (whether licensed or not) will be assessed a penalty of $25.00 in addition to the fine assessed for running at large as hereinafter provided. If the owners of the dog cannot present evidence of vaccination at the time of release an additional penalty of $25.00 shall be assessed. Further, proof of vaccination must be presented within 10 days of the assessment of said penalty or the dog will be picked up. In the event a dog is picked up multiple times for failure to comply with this section, each incidence will be considered separate as concerns fines and penalties, and all fines must be paid before the dog can be released.

(Ord. 720; Code 2012; Ord. 947)

No owner, keeper or harborer of any dog shall permit the same to run at large within the City of Moundridge. Running at large shall be deemed to include any dog that is not confined on the premises of the owner or harbored in a fenced enclosure or shelter, or restrained with a lead rope or chain which is securely fastened in a manner sufficient to keep the dog on the premises, or under the control of a person by a lead, cord, leash or chain whether on or off of the premises of the owner, keeper or harborer.

(Ord. 720; Code 2012)

Any dog kept or harbored within the City of Moundridge without a proper registration tag for the current year, or any dog running at large in said City, whether bearing a proper registration tag or not, may be taken up at any time by any police officer or duly designated dog catcher of said City. Any officer of the City may enter upon the owner's property for the purpose of taking up any such dog. It shall be the duty of the Chief of Police to receive, or cause to be received, such dogs when so taken up and safely keep and impound such dogs for 72 hours from the time of delivery to him or person designated by him, during which time such dogs may be released only if the owner or harborer has paid all costs of license taxes, costs of boarding such dog and, in addition thereto, a boarding fee of $5.00 a day.

Any person, firm or corporation violating any of the provisions of this chapter shall, upon conviction thereof, and in addition to fees and charges set out in Section 2-105 and 2-107, be fined as follows:

A violation of Section 2-106. Running at Large: (a) first offense: $25.00; (b) second offense: $50.00; (c) third and Subsequent offense: mandatory Court appearance and a fine of minimum of $75.00 and a maximum of $500.00 and/or imprisonment not to exceed 30 days, or both such fine and imprisonment, in the discretion of the Court.

(Ord. 720; Code 2012; Ord. 947)

It shall be unlawful for any unauthorized person to open, unlock, break open or attempt to break open the pound, or to take or let out any animal placed therein, or take or attempt to take from an authorized officer of this city any animal taken up by him or her under the provisions of this article.

(Ord. 720; Code 2012)

As an alternative to the provisions of section 2-107, any police officer or duly designated animal control officer may issue a citation to the owner, harborer or keeper of an animal in violation of this article (in lieu of taking up and impounding animals in violation of this ordinance), and the person receiving the citation shall, within 10 days, appear in the municipal court of the city to answer the charged violation.

(Ord. 720; Code 2012)

When deemed necessary by law enforcement officers or the animal control officer for the health, safety and welfare of the residents of the city, such officers and/or their agents may:

(a)   Place a humane trap on public or a requesting resident’s property for the purpose of capturing any animal defined in this chapter as creating a nuisance in the city;

(b)   Use any tranquilizer guns, humane traps, or other suitable devices to subdue and capture any animal that is deemed by the animal control officer, in his or her discretion, to be of a danger to itself or to the public health and safety.

(c)   Use firearms or other suitable weapons to destroy any rabid animal, any vicious animal as defined in section 2-302, or any animal creating a nuisance, where such animal is impossible to catch, capture, or tranquilize.

(Ord. 720; Code 2012)

The Chief of Police shall cause any dog not redeemed after being impounded for 72 hours to be killed and shall cause the carcass thereof to be disposed of.

(Ord. 720; Code 2012)

No person shall own, keep or harbor any dog which by loud, frequent and habitual barking, howling or yelping shall annoy or disturb any neighborhood or person in the city.

A violation of Section 2-112. Barking Dogs: (a) first offense: $25.00; (b) second offense: $50.00; (c) third and Subsequent offense: mandatory Court appearance and a fine of minimum of $75.00 and a maximum of $500.00 and/or imprisonment not to exceed 30 days, or both such fine and imprisonment, in the discretion of the Court.

(Ord. 720; Code 2012; Ord. 947)