§ 34-316. Impoundment of dogs, domestic animals, livestock, owned wildlife, and exotic animals.

(a)

Any citizen may pick up and impound any animal running at large in Fulton County, provided said animal is promptly surrendered to the Fulton County Animal Control to allow the person having the right of possession an opportunity to reclaim their animal.

(b)

Dogs, domestic animals, livestock, owned wildlife, and exotic animals within any of the following classes may be captured and impounded from the areas noted section 34-201(a) (with the exception of subsections (b)(1), (b)(3), (b)(4), (b)(5), and (b)(6) of this section which shall also apply to any area of Fulton County not under contract for animal control services).

(1)

Dogs or cats without a current rabies vaccination.

(2)

Dogs or cats without a current Fulton County license.

(3)

Dogs not wearing a current vaccination/license tag. This shall include dogs wearing a tag that was not issued for said dog.

(4)

Warmblooded animals which have bitten a human or another warmblooded animal and warmblooded animals which have been bitten by another warmblooded animal suspected of having rabies.

(5)

Warmblooded animals suspected of having rabies.

(6)

Unconfined warmblooded animals in quarantine areas.

(7)

Animals whose safety, health, or life is in immediate danger.

(8)

Animals whose ownership is unknown.

(9)

Dogs, domestic animals, livestock, owned wildlife, or exotic animals roaming at large, with the exception of cats.

(10)

Public nuisance animals or dangerous or vicious dogs not properly confined or restrained as defined in sections 34-281 and 34-284.

(11)

Commercial guard/security dogs not properly confined or restrained as defined in section 34-206.

(12)

Dogs in heat not properly confined as defined in section 34-207.

(c)

No animal shall be exempt from the provisions of this article by virtue of a vaccination, tag, or certificate.

(d)

Any animal control officer empowered to perform any duty under this article is hereby authorized to go upon any premises to seize for impounding a dog or other animal which the officer is in immediate pursuit of with the exception of any occupied building into which the dog or other animal may enter. In the latter case, if the occupant or owner of the premises gives permission to the animal control officer to enter the premises, the officer may remove said dog or other animal.

(e)

It shall be unlawful for any person to, in any manner, interfere with, hinder, resist, obstruct, or molest the animal control officer in the performance of his/her duties, or for any person to remove any animal from the animal control vehicle or animal control shelter without the permission of the animal control officer.

(f)

When the owner of the dog or other animal impounded under the provisions of this article, can be readily identified and located, the health department or its designee shall notify the owner of the impoundment. A reasonable attempt to contact the owner shall be satisfied by a telephone call to the owner's residence, when possible, or a postcard sent to the owner's residence through the U.S. Postal System.

(g)

A dangerous dog or vicious dog shall be immediately impounded by any animal control officer or by a law enforcement officer if:

(1)

The owner of the dangerous dog or vicious dog does not secure the liability insurance or surety bond required by section 34-283;

(2)

The dangerous dog or vicious dog is not validly registered as required by section 34-283; or

(3)

The dangerous dog or vicious dog is not maintained in a proper enclosure as specified in section 34-284.

Any dangerous dog or vicious dog impounded under the provisions of this section may be returned to its owner upon the owner's compliance with the provisions of this section, and upon payment of reasonable impoundment costs. In the event the owner has not complied with the provisions of this section within 20 days of the date the dog was impounded, said dog may be destroyed in an expeditious and humane manner.

(91-RC-441, § O, 8-21-91; 16-0728, Exh. A, 9-7-16; 18-0340, Att. A, 5-16-18)