§ 6-14. Impoundment of dogs and cats.

(a)

Any dog or cat may be impounded by the animal services manager in any of the following circumstances:

(1)

Any dog or cat running at large in the City of Irving; or

(2)

Any dog not having affixed to and wearing on a collar or harness a valid city registration tag and a tag furnished by a veterinarian showing that said dog is currently vaccinated against rabies; or

(3)

Any dog or cat whose registration has been revoked; or

(4)

A dog or cat that is suspected of having inflicted bodily injury on any human being or animal, or poses a threat to public safety; or

(5)

A dog or cat that has rabies or symptoms thereof, or that a person could suspect as having rabies, or that bites, scratches, or otherwise creates a condition which may have exposed or transmitted the rabies virus to any human being or animal.

(b)

Disposition of impounded dogs and cats.

(1)

If any dog or cat impounded under this section is not called for by the owner within seventy-two (72) hours after notification of the impoundment or within seventy-two (72) hours of impoundment where the owner cannot be reasonably ascertained, the dog or cat shall become the property of the Irving Animal Shelter and may be placed for adoption, transferred, or euthanized, using the Asilomar Accords Guiding Principles and Definitions.

(2)

The animal shelter shall be considered the designated caretaker of a stray, impounded, or surrendered animal immediately upon intake at the shelter. After a holding period of at least seventy-two (72) hours or three (3) business days from the time of intake, impound, or surrender, the city shall become the full owner of the animal in question. After the expiration of the holding period, animals that are not claimed and redeemed by the owner or custodian may be put up for adoption, placed with a reputable and approved rescue group or person, or humanely destroyed.

(3)

If any dog or cat that is impounded by animal services, or brought to the animal shelter by a person other than the owner of that animal, and is wearing traceable identification, is readily observable as being sterilized or declawed in the best judgment of the animal services manager or manager's designee, or where an owner is known, such animal shall be held at the animal shelter for a minimum of six (6) business days from the time the animal enters the animal shelter. Animal services shall notify the owner, when known, of the impoundment. Unless the owner has notified animal services in writing of his intentions to claim the animal after that date, listing a date by which time that owner will reclaim the dog/cat and satisfy all applicable fees and this arrangement has been approved by the animal services manager, the animal shall become the property of the Irving Animal Shelter and may be placed for adoption, transferred, or euthanized after the sixth business day, using the Asilomar Accords Guiding Principles and Definitions.

(4)

The owner of any impounded dog or cat shall be permitted to repossess such dog or cat prior to disposition by the city upon the payment to the animal services department of the appropriate fees.

(5)

This subsection does not apply to any dog or cat placed in quarantine, that is the subject of a dangerous animal complaint, or whose registration has been revoked.

(Ord. No. 8597, § 1, 1-26-06; Ord. No. 8863, § 2, 9-20-07; Ord. No. 8925, § 4, 3-13-08; Ord. No. 2013-9513, § 2, 10-3-13)