§ 14-30. Impoundment.
(a)
Provision for pound. The village board may provide a pound for strays or unwanted dogs in the village, or may designate a humane society or other person or organization to provide a pound for strays or unwanted dogs in the village. Services of a pound shall be taken from the dog license fees received.
(b)
Delivery. A person who captures and restrains a dog shall notify the humane officer, or if there be none, to a police officer.
(c)
Attempt to notify owner. An attempt to notify the owner of an impounded dog shall be made as follows:
(1)
The pound, humane officer, organization or officer who is notified or to whom a dog is delivered shall attempt to notify the owner personally or by mail as soon as possible if the owner is known or can be ascertained with reasonable effort.
(2)
The officer or pound who is notified or to whom a dog is delivered shall check the lost and found column of the local daily newspapers having a general circulation in the community to determine if a dog is advertised which answers the description of the dog.
(d)
Records. The officer or pound who is notified or to whom a dog is delivered shall keep a record of each dog, giving a description of the dog, the date of the impoundment, if any and the disposition of the dog. If the dog is kept by, or released to, a person, the record shall include the name, address and date of delivery of the dog. This record is a public record.
(e)
Impoundment fees. The owner of an impounded dog shall pay an impoundment fee to the officer or pound to whom the dog was delivered. The minimum impoundment fee is $1.00, but the village board may increase this fee by resolution. All impoundment fees shall be paid to the village treasurer and credited to the dog license fund.
(f)
Boarding fee. The owner of an impounded dog shall pay the officer or pound to whom the dog was delivered a boarding fee for each day or fraction of a day that a dog is impounded. The officer or pound shall establish the boarding fee, but this fee may not exceed the actual daily cost for boarding and caring for the dog. Boarding fees may be retained to pay expenses incurred by the officer of the pound.
(g)
Release to owner; conditions. The officer or pound to whom a dog is delivered may release the dog to the owner or a representative if:
(1)
The owner or representative gives his name and address.
(2)
The owner or representative presents evidence that the dog is licensed and presents evidence that the dog is vaccinated against rabies or a receipt from a licensed veterinarian for prepayment of a rabies inoculation.
(3)
The owner or representative pays the boarding fees and any impoundment fee for the dog.
(h)
Release to person other than owner; conditions. The officer or pound to whom a dog is delivered may release to a person other than the dog's owner only if:
(1)
The owner is unknown or does not claim the dog within seven days after the dog is delivered to the officer or pound.
(2)
The person to whom the dog is released gives his name and address.
(3)
The person to whom the dog is released signs a statement agreeing to license the dog and to have the dog vaccinated against rabies unless evidence is presented that the dog is licensed and vaccinated.
(4)
The person to whom the dog is released, if required by the officer or pound, pays the boarding fees and any impoundment fee for the dog.
(i)
Sacrifice or use for humane purposes of unclaimed dogs. A dog which is not released to its owner or to a person other than its owner within the impoundment period is deemed an unclaimed dog. The minimum impoundment period is seven days after the dog is delivered to the officer or pound. The officer or pound may extend the impoundment period if release of the dog to the owner or a person other than the owner appears likely. The officer or pound may dispose of an unclaimed dog by releasing it as provided under W.S.A., § 174.13, by disposing of the dog in a proper and humane manner.
(Code 1966, § 14.04(5))
State law reference
Similar provisions, W.S.A., § 174.046.