§ 5-2-4 Dog Licensing | St. George City Code

5-2-4: DOG LICENSING:

1. License Required: All dogs must be licensed each year, except as otherwise provided herein, to a person of the age of eighteen (18) years or older.

2. Time Limit: Any person owning, possessing or harboring any dog shall obtain a license for such animal within thirty (30) days after the dog reaches the age of four (4) months; or in the case of a dog over four (4) months, within ten (10) days after acquisition of the dog. (Ord. 81-11-2, 11-5-1981)

3. Application: License applications must be submitted annually to the division of animal control, utilizing a standard form which requests name, address and telephone number of the applicant; breed, sex, color and age of the animal; and rabies information. The application shall be accompanied by the prescribed license fee and by a current rabies vaccination certificate. Rabies vaccinations shall be given by a licensed veterinarian every three (3) years. If the dog is under five (5) years of age the second rabies vaccination shall be given only one (1) year after the first vaccination is given. (Ord. 2007-12-004, 12-6-2007)

4. Fee For License: The license fees shall be in such amounts as established by resolution of the city council. No dog will be licensed as spayed or neutered without proof that such surgery was performed. (Ord. 81-11-2, 11-5-1981; amd. 2003 Code)

5. Term Of License; Late Fees: The license shall be effective from the date of purchase through the end of February of the following year, after which a late fee may be imposed. Licenses for the following year may be purchased within ninety (90) days prior to the end of February. (Ord. 81-11-2, 11-5-1981)

6. Number Permitted; Exception: No person or person at any one dwelling unit, as defined in the zoning ordinance of the city, shall at any one time own or license more than two (2) dogs in any combination, except as otherwise provided herein. Sole exception shall be where the person occupies a dwelling unit with exclusive location on an acre or more of land, or where the dwelling unit adjoins an open space or agricultural zone on at least one side of the property upon which it is located. In the event of an exception, as provided herein, up to four (4) dogs may be allowed at a dwelling unit but no more. The purpose of this subsection is to minimize the health and nuisance effect upon neighbors of keeping dogs, and nothing herein shall waive the requirement of full compliance with all other provisions of this chapter or the city nuisance ordinance. Because of the difficulty of keeping record of dog ownership, the issuance of a dog license by the city to more than the permitted number of dogs shall in no way waive the city’s right to require compliance with the provisions of this subsection. (Ord. 12-1-1990, 12-13-1990)

1. Required; Attachment: Upon payment of the license fee, the division of animal control shall issue to the owner a certificate and a tag for each dog licensed. The tag shall have stamped thereon the license number corresponding with the tag number on the certificate. The owner shall attach the tag to the collar or harness of the animal and see that the collar and the tag are constantly worn. Failure to attach the tag as provided shall be in violation of this chapter, except that dogs which are kept primarily for show purposes are exempt from wearing the tag.

2. Transferability; Lost Tags: Dog tags are not transferable from one dog to another. No refunds shall be made on any dog license fee for any reason whatsoever. Replacements for lost or destroyed tags shall be issued upon payment of a fee in such amount as established by resolution of the city council to the division of animal control.

3. Removal Prohibited: Any person removing or causing to be removed the collar, harness or tag from any licensed dog without the consent of the owner or keeper thereof, except a licensed veterinarian or animal control officer who removes such for medical and other reasons, shall be in violation of this chapter.

1. The provisions of subsections A and B of this section shall not apply to:

a. Dogs licensed elsewhere whose owners are nonresidents temporarily (up to 30 days) within the jurisdiction; licensed dogs whose owners remain within the jurisdiction longer than thirty (30) days may transfer to the local license upon payment of a fee in such amount as established by resolution of the city council and proof of current rabies vaccination. (Ord. 81-11-2, 11-5-1981; amd. 2003 Code)

b. Individual dogs within a properly licensed dog kennel or other such establishment when such dogs are held for resale.

2. The fee provisions of subsection A of this section shall not apply to:

a. Seeing eye dogs properly trained to assist blind persons if such dogs are actually being used by blind persons to assist them in moving from place to place.

b. Hearing dogs properly trained to assist deaf persons if such dogs are actually used by deaf persons to aid them in responding to sounds.

c. Dogs especially trained to assist officials of government agencies in the performance of their duties and which are owned by such agencies.

3. Nothing in this section shall be construed so as to exempt any dog from having a current rabies vaccination. (Ord. 81-11-2, 11-5-1981)