2005-342
S:\Our Documenls\Ordinanccs\05\AnimalAdoptionAmendments.doc
ORDINANCE NO. 2005- 3 Lj 2
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF DENTON, TEXAS AMENDING THE PROVISIONS
OF CHAPTER 6 SECTION 18 REGARDING THE ADOPTION OF DOGS, CATS, AND
FERRETS; PROVIDING FOR A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; PROVIDING FOR A SAVINGS
CLAUSE; PROVIDING FOR A PENALTY NOT TO EXCEED $500 FOR VIOLATIONS OF
THIS ORDINANCE; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DENTON HEREBY ORDAINS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 6 "Animals" of the Code of Ordinances of Denton, Texas is
hereby amended by amending Section 6-18 regulating the adoption of dogs, cats, and ferrets and
shall read as follows:
Sec. 6-18 Adoption of dogs, cats, and ferrets.
(a) The animal control center is authorized to offer for adoption any impounded animal
not redeemed by its owner within ninety-six (96) hours or any animal released by its owner for
adoption, except where otherwise specified.
(b) Animal Services Officers shall be the sole judge as to whether or not an animal is
suitable to offer for adoption. A decision to offer a particular animal for adoption shall not
constitute a warranty, expressed or implied, of the health, temperament, or age of the animal.
( c) In order to adopt a dog or cat, a person shall:
(1) Complete the necessary adoption paperwork and pay an adoption fee as
established by the city council and kept on file in the office of the city
secretary.
(2) If required by this article, pay a registration fee as established by the city
council and kept on file with the city secretary.
(d) In order to adopt a ferret, a person shall:
(1) Complete the necessary adoption paperwork;
(2) Pay a veterinary clinic for the administration of vaccinations against rabies
and other communicable diseases common to the animal species and present a
receipt of payment from the veterinary clinic;
(3) If required by this article, pay a registration fee as established by the city
council and kept on file with the city secretary; and
S:\Our Documents\Ordinances\05\Animal^doptionAmendments.doc
(4) Subsequently provide certification from the veterinary clinic that the animal
was vaccinated as prescribed within seven (7) days of the animals release
from the animal shelter.
(e) A person who adopts an animal from the animal control center, that is determined by
the city's contracted veterinary provider to be either of insufficient age or medical condition to
receive vaccinations or be spayed or neutered as prescribed by law, shall follow the instructions
provided by the contracted veterinary provider and ensure that the adopted animal is
subsequently vaccinated and spayed or neutered by the contracted veterinary provider when it is
medically capable.
(I) If a person fails to meet the requirements of this section, the animal center is
authorized to impound the animal. It shall be unlawful for any person, who is in violation of this
section, to fail or refuse to surrender an animal adopted from the animal control center.
SECTION 2. If any section, subsection, paragraph, sentence, clause, phrase, or word in
this ordinance, or application thereof to any person or circumstances is held invalid by any court
of competent jurisdiction, such holding shall not effect the validity of the remaining portions of
this ordinance, and the City Council of the City of Denton, Texas hereby declares it would have
enacted such remaining portions despite any invalidity.
SECTION 3. Save and except as: amended hereby, all the proVIsIOns, sections,
subsections paragraphs, sentences, clauses, and phrases of the Code of Ordinances shall remain
in full force and effect.
SECTION 4. Any person found guilty of violating this ordinance by a court of
competent jurisdiction shall be fined a sum not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500) per day.
Each day that a provision of this ordinance is violated shall constitute a separate offense.
SECTION 5. This ordinance providing for a penalty shall become effective fourteen (14)
days from the date of its passage, and the City Secretary is hereby directed to cause the caption
of this ordinance to be published twice in the Denton Record-Chronicle, the official newspaper
of the City of Denton, Texas, within ten (10) days of the date of its passage.
'5Th ~ ~
PASSED AND APPROVED this the L day of /J1I.V ~ ,2005.
~AcL
EULINE BROCK, MAYOR
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ATTESTED:
JENNIFER WALTERS, CITY SECRETARY
~w
APPR VED AS TO LEGAL FORM:
EDWIN M. SNYDER, CITY ATTORNEY
BY:
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