Des Moines, Iowa

Sec. 18-65. – Disposition of unredeemed dogs.

(b) Adoption. A person seeking to adopt a dog shall:

(1) File a form as prescribed by the chief of police, which shall identify the dog desired for adoption; if the same dog is identified for adoption by more than one person, the form filed first in time with the chief humane officer shall be honored.

(2) Pay an adoption fee in the amounts set in the schedule of fees adopted by the city council by resolution which fee shall include the cost of a city dog license and vaccinations as required by this article and surgical sterilization.

(3) If a dog is too young to submit to vaccinations or to surgical sterilization, the person shall agree in writing to surgical sterilization of the adopted dog within a designated time period. Upon submission of written proof of compliance from a veterinarian, the amount set in the schedule of fees adopted by the city council by resolution shall be refunded to the person adopting the dog. Any person who fails to comply with such an agreement shall be guilty of a simple misdemeanor, and the chief humane officer or his or her designee shall be authorized to seize and impound the dog for the purpose of administering vaccinations and surgical sterilization as necessary.

Sec. 18-103. – Running at large.

(a) A cat, properly licensed and displaying such license as required by law, shall not be deemed at large if:

(1) The cat is spayed or neutered and is displaying a spay/neuter tag.

Sec. 18-107. – Redemption of impounded cat.

(a) Licensed cat. The owner of an impounded licensed cat which is not required to be held for observation, as provided by section 18-167 of this chapter, may claim and redeem such animal upon payment of the impounding and daily boarding fees in the amounts set in the schedule of fees adopted by the city council by resolution. If, within a year’s time, the same cat is impounded a second or more times, the impounding fee shall be increased incrementally to the amounts set in the schedule of fees adopted by the city council by resolution in addition to the daily boarding fee, and the owner shall agree in writing to surgical sterilization of the cat within a designated time period; any person who fails to comply with such an agreement shall be guilty of a simple misdemeanor.