Mound City Code 455.00
Section 455 – REGULATING AND LICENSING OF DOGS AND CATS
455.01 Running at Large Prohibited. No dog or cat shall be permitted to run at large within the limits of the City. Any dog/cat is deemed to be at large when it is off the premises owned or rented by the owner or his agent and not under restraint. A dog/cat is "under restraint" if it is controlled by a leash not exceeding six feet in length, or at heel beside a competent person having custody of it, and obedient to that person's commands, or within a vehicle being driven or parked on a street or within the property limits of the owner's premises. An unattended dog/cat on the property of another without the consent of such property owner is "at large" and not "under restraint" even though it is on a leash.
455.05 Licenses.
Subd. 1. Licenses Required. No person shall keep any dog/cat, which is in excess of three months of age, within the City without securing an annual license therefor from the Clerk, who shall keep a record of all licenses issued and shall issue a metal tag for each license. No such license shall be obtained by a non-resident or the City for any dog/cat which is not allowed to remain in the City for more than twenty-four hours.
Subd. 2. License Fees; Expiration. The license fee shall be established in accordance with the provisions of Section 500 of the City Code. Licenses issued after April 30th in odd-numbered years shall be one-half of the basic license fee amount. License fees shall not be otherwise pro-rated. Every license shall be issued and be valid for the whole or unexpired portion of two-year periods beginning on May 1 of each even-numbered year. Every license, regardless of the date of issuance, shall expire on April 30 of each even numbered year. Dog/cat owners shall apply for license renewal prior to the license expiration date.
Subd. 3. License Non-Transferable and Non-Refundable. Licenses and license fees shall not be transferable to other owners or dogs/cats, and dog/cat license fees are not refundable for any reason.
Subd. 4. Penalty for Late Application. Dog/cat license applications shall be completed on or before April 30th of each even-numbered year. Applications received by the Clerk between April 1 and April 30th for licenses expiring in that even-numbered year shall be issued without a penalty. Application received by the City between May 1 and May 10th, inclusive, for licenses expiring in that even-numbered year shall require a late application fee as established in accordance with the provisions of Section 500 of the City Code, to be added to the license fee.
Applications received after May 10th for licenses expiring in that even-numbered year shall require a late application fee, as established in accordance with the provisions of Section 500 of the City Code, to be added to the license fee. Said penalties for late applications shall also apply to all licenses issued by the City under Subsection 456.75 of the City Code. No such penalty shall be paid by a person not a resident of the City, or for a dog/cat acquired within the immediate 30 days preceding application or for a dog/cat which is not three months old on April 1 of the license year. It shall be the responsibility of every owner to acquire a license within 30 days after becoming a resident, acquiring a dog/cat over three months of age, or within 30 days after a dog/cat is three months of age.
Subd. 5. Rabies Vaccination. Every application for a license shall be accompanied by a certificate from a qualified veterinarian showing that the dog/cat had been vaccinated for rabies. Said certificate shall show that the dog/cat in question has been vaccinated against rabies, the type vaccine used, and the length of time the vaccination if effective. Section 455 to the contrary notwithstanding, the license shall be effective for only the duration of the vaccine effectiveness as state in the official Comprehendium of Animal Rabies Vaccines published by the Conference of State Public Health Veterinarians and the Center for Disease Control of the Department of Health and Human Resources.
Subd. 6. Publication of Notice. The Clerk shall cause a notice of the necessity of obtaining such license to be published in the official newspaper one time before the first day of April each year.
Subd. 7. Affixing Tag. The owner shall permanently affix the tag to the collar of the dog/cat so licensed in such a manner that the tag may be easily seen. The owner shall see that the tag is constantly worn by the dog/cat.
Subd. 8. Duplicate Dog/CatTags. In case any dog/cat tag is lost one (1) duplicate may be issued by the Clerk upon presentation of a receipt showing the payment of the tax for the current year. A charge for each duplicate tag shall be established in accordance with the provisions of Section 500 of the City Code.
Subd. 9. Counterfeiting Tags. No person shall counterfeit or attempt to counterfeit the tags provided for in this Code, nor shall any person except the owner take from any dog a tag legally placed upon it, nor shall any person place such tag upon another dog/cat.
455.10 Dog/Cat Nuisances. The owner or custodian of any dog/cat shall prevent the dog/cat from committing in the City any act which constitutes a nuisance. It is a nuisance for any dog to habitually or frequently bark or cry, cat to habitually or frequently cry or howl, to frequent school grounds, parks, or public beaches, to chase vehicles, to molest or annoy any person away from the property of his owner or custodian, or to damage, defile, or destroy public or private property. Failure of the owner or custodian of a dog/cat to prevent the dog/cat from committing such a nuisance is a violation of this Code. Violation of Subsection 456.26 of the City Code relating to leashing and feces clean up shall also be considered a nuisance. (ORD. #52-1991, 12-23-91)
455.15 Confinement of Certain Dogs/Cats. Every female dog/cat in heat shall be confined in a building or other secure enclosure in such manner that it cannot come into contact with another dog/cat, except for planned breeding.
455.20 Quarantine of Certain Dogs/Cats. Any dog/cat which bites a person shall be quarantined as provided in Subsection 456.50.
455.25 Muzzling Proclamation. Whenever the prevalence of rabies renders such action necessary to protect the public health and safety, the Council shall issue a proclamation ordering every person owning or keeping a dog/cat to muzzle it securely so that it cannot bite. No person shall violate such proclamation and any unmuzzled dog/cat unrestrained during the time fixed in the proclamation shall be subject to impoundment as heretofore provided, and the owner of such dog/cat shall upon conviction be guilty of a misdemeanor.
455.30 Impounding. Any dog/cat found unlicensed or running at large contrary to the provisions of this Code may be impounded as provided in Subsection 456.80.
(ORD.03-2001,4/8/01)