This page is designed to engage the public in reuniting lost animals with their owners, or to find new homes for unclaimed animals. It is not intended to be a platform to talk about City officials or politics.

To humanely enforce animal laws for the City of Garfield Heights.

505.02 IMPOUNDING AND DISPOSITION OF ANIMALS.
(a) The Mayor is hereby authorized and directed to appoint a Dog Warden, subject to approval by Council, whose duty it shall be to establish a City dog pound and enforce the ordinances of the City relating to animals.



(b) (1) The Dog Warden shall apprehend any animal found running at large and to impound such dog in the dog pound or dispose of such animal in a humane fashion. The Dog Warden shall, upon receiving any animal, make a complete registry, entering the breed, color, size and sex of such animal and whether licensed. If licensed, he shall enter the name and address of the owner and the number of the license tag. Licensed animals shall be separated from unlicensed animals. The Dog Warden shall have complete police power to enforce the provisions of this chapter and make arrests for any violations.


(2) The animal as apprehended and impounded shall not be released except upon approval of the Dog Warden and payment of fees by the owner.


(3) Any dangerous, fierce or vicious animal so found at large which cannot be taken up and impounded safely may be destroyed or disposed of in a humane fashion by the Dog Warden or any policeman.

(Ord. 90-1991. Passed 7-8-91.)

(c) No later than three days after the impounding of any animal, the owner shall be notified, or if the owner of any animal is unknown, a written notice shall be posted for three days at the Garfield Heights Civic Center (5407 Turney Rd.) and on the City Website (www.GarfieldHts.org) describing the animal and the place and time of taking. The owner of any animal so impounded may reclaim such animal upon the payment of all costs and charges incurred by the City for impounding and maintenance of the animal. The cost is set at sixty dollars ($60.00) for the cost of pick-up and ten dollars ($10.00) per day for each day the animal was impounded. (Ord. 18-2012. Passed 4-9-12.)


(d) The Dog Warden shall keep all animals so impounded for a period of three days. If at the expiration of three days from the date of notice to the owner, or the conclusion of the posting of notice, such animal has not been redeemed, it may be destroyed or disposed of in a humane fashion. Any unlicensed animal required by law to be licensed, or any animal which appears to be suffering from or affected with rabies, mange or other infectious or dangerous disease, shall not be released, but may be forthwith destroyed or disposed of in a humane fashion.

(Ord. 84-1994. Passed 9-26-94.)