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SECTION 8. KEEPING/ADOPTING STRAY ANIMALS AND MAINTAINING FERAL CATS.A. It shall be unlawful for any person in the county to harbor, feed and/or keep any stray animal unless he/she has notified the Division within twenty-four (24) hours from the time such animal came into his/her possession. Upon receiving such notice, an animal control officer may take such animal and place it in the animal shelter. It shall be unlawful for any person to refuse to surrender any such stray animal to an authorized representative of the Division upon demand of such representative. B. Adopting stray found animals The Division, at its sole discretion, may permit residents who possess a stray dog or cat and who wish to provide it a permanent home, to legally adopt such animal by adhering to the following procedures: 1. Take the found stray animal to the Division to be scanned for an electronic animal identification device (EAID) and checked for a tattoo. An exception to this requirement is for the potential adopter to take the dog or cat to a local veterinarian or another animal shelter to be scanned for an EAID and checked for a tattoo. Proof must be presented to the Division that these requirements have been met. 2. Provide the Division with clear identifying color photographs showing the animal from a side view and a front view. Each photograph must have a minimal dimension of three (3) inches by three (3) inches. It is also recommended that the potential adopter place a "found" advertisement in at least one local newspaper of general circulation. 3. Complete an official Division "found" form which provides all appropriate identifying information for the animal. 4. Sign an adoption agreement and pay all necessary fees and deposits. The prospective owner, at his/her option and expense, may make an appointment at the Division to secure the required vaccinations, tests, electronic animal identification device (EAID) and sterilization or may secure these requirements through a private veterinarian. All deposits will be refunded when proof is shown that the new owner has complied with these requirements. 5. If the animal becomes injured or sick while under the potential adopter's care, that person shall be required to pay all necessary veterinary expenses. If the adopter does not wish to pay for needed treatment, the animal must be relinquished to the Division. The potential adopter shall lose all rights and claims to the animal. 6. All potential adopters must agree to relinquish the found dog or cat to its rightful owner after proof of ownership has been demonstrated and/or until such time as the Division approves and releases the animal to the new adopter. All potential adopters will also relinquish the found dog or cat to the Division upon request. 7. Such animal(s) may become the property of a person if the following requirements are also met: a. Photographs and identifying information have been posted at the Division for ten (10) working days, b. The animal has been given a rabies inoculation and county tag, c. The animal has been sterilized, and d. The animal has been implanted with an electronic animal identification device (EAID). The requirements herein must be secured within thirty (30) calendar days after the Division approves the adoption application. Extensions may be granted by the Division for reasonable requests. Any deviation from these adoption requirements by the potential adopter, will void the adoption. C. Feral cat harborer/caregiver requirements 1. It is unlawful for any person to intentionally provide food, water, or other forms of sustenance or care to a feral cat or feral cat colony/colonies unless the person has registered the feral cat or cat colony/colonies with the Division. Registration consists of the following requirements: a. Annually register each feral cat colony with the Division. A notarized statement from the property owner and written notification to each contiguous property owner must accompany the registration form that affirms the approval of the property owner to establish and maintain a feral cat colony on the named property. The Board shall establish a fee for the registration of each colony. If it is determined that a person is in violation of section 8.C.1.a herein, said person shall be in violation of Section 8.C.1.a herein, said person shall be allowed thirty (30) days from the issuance of a warning notice to come into compliance. Failure to do so shall result in the issuance of a civil citation and the revocation of the registration of the feral cat colony. b. Assure responsibility and arrangements for feeding the cat or cat colony/colonies regularly throughout the year, including weekends, holidays and vacations of the "feral cat harborer/caregiver." c. Sterilize all cats. d. Sterilize all kittens over eight (8) weeks of age and before sixteen (16) weeks of age. e. Make every attempt to remove kittens from the colony by eight (8) weeks of age for domestication and placement. f. Remove any sick or injured cat from the colony/colonies for immediate veterinary care or humane euthanasia. g. Ear crop all cats on the left ear and provide either a tattoo (as specified in Section 11 - DOG AND CAT RABIES/ LICENSE TAGS) on the inside right ear or an electronic animal identification device (EAID). h. Vaccinate as required by law, all cats against rabies (with a three (3) year vaccine) and any other infectious diseases as mandated by the county or state. i. Maintain proof of sterilization, vaccination, tattoo and medical records for all cats. These records must be provided to the Division upon request. 2. The Division has the right to seize/remove the colony because: a. Of public health and safety concerns (rabies, other zoonotic epidemics and certain animal-to-animal diseases as identified by the county public health unit or the county veterinary association/society). b. The cats are creating a public nuisance as defined in Section 5, ANIMALS CREATING NUISANCE, or c. The "feral cat harborer/caregiver" fails to abide by these requirements.
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Main Facility Shelter Hours: Main Phone: West County Pahokee Facility |
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