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62 <br />Animal Control Ordinance <br />(f) An animal which has been declared vicious may be impounded by the Animal <br />Control Officer, either upon direct observation of the Animal Control Officer or law <br />enforcement officer or receipt of written complaint that the animal is at large, or off <br />the premises of its owner or keeper and not restrained by a competent person, or not <br />confined in a manner permitted in subsection (d) above. <br />(1) Written Complaint. Upon receipt of a written complaint that an animal previously <br />declared vicious was off the owner or keeper property while not properly <br />restrained and there is probably cause to believe a violation of this Ordinance or <br />other applicable law or regulation has occurred, an Animal Control Officer may <br />impound the animal and investigate the complaint. <br />(2) If an animal is impounded as vicious, authorization for reclamation after any <br />required holding period shall be granted when in the Animal Services Director, or <br />their designee's sole discretion, is reasonably assured that either the animal is not <br />vicious or the vicious animal will be properly restrained on the premises of its <br />owner or keeper. <br />(3) Upon a finding that there is probable cause to believe a violation of this <br />Ordinance or other applicable law or regulation has occurred, the Officer may <br />seize the animal and take any action allowed by this Ordinance or State law as the <br />circumstances may require. <br />(g) Citation. The Animal Control Officer shall issue a citation to the owner or keeper for <br />actions described in section b. 1 - 4. Citations may be delivered in person or by <br />registered mail if the owner or keeper is not readily found. The citation issued shall <br />impose upon the owner or keeper a civil penalty of one hundred dollars ($100.00), or <br />any other amount prescribed by the Orange County Board of Commissioners. <br />(1) The violator must pay the citation to the Orange County Animal Services within <br />fourteen (14) days of receipt in full satisfaction of the assessed civil penalty. This <br />penalty is in addition to any other fees or remedies authorized under this Chapter. <br />(2) In the event that the owner or keeper of the animal does not appear in response to <br />the described citation, the civil penalty is not paid within the time period <br />prescribed, or if the animal previously has been declared vicious upon payment of <br />a citation or the conviction of the owner or keeper a criminal summons may be <br />issued against the owner or keeper for violation of this chapter and upon <br />conviction, the owner or keeper shall be punished as provided by this Ordinance. <br />(3) Upon the issuance of a citation for an animal which has committed any of the acts <br />described in this Section, the animal must be confined either in the home of the <br />owner or keeper, at an animal shelter, a kennel as provided in Sections 4 -71 and <br />4 -72 below or a veterinarian's office until such time that the required pen is <br />constructed, the animal is destroyed, or a judge finds that the animal is not a <br />vicious animal. <br />DRAFT 2 #, OA . #/ 09 - 5/ 30/ 2013 00 R. 1111 <br />