Huntsville, Alabama

Sec. 5-41. License—Required: fee.

(a) The owner or person in charge of any dog and/or cat which is more than four months of age and resides in the city shall annually register the dog and/or cat as to sex, breed, description, name and address of the owner or person in charge, and name of the dog and/or cat if any. At the time of such registration, such owner or person in charge shall, upon providing proof of a valid rabies vaccination, obtain a license for such dog and/or cat and shall pay a license tax or fee as follows:

(1) Spayed or neutered: $10.00; or

(2) Unspayed or unneutered: $50.00.

However, when a license is issued for a dog or cat too young to be subjected to alteration because it is less than four months old at the time the license is issued, and the dog or cat is altered subsequent to the beginning of the next license year, upon proof of sterilization, the director may issue a license at no charge for the following license year.

(b) An owner or person in charge of a dog and/or cat, upon providing proof that the animal meets the criteria provided in subsection (a) and also that the animal has been sterilized, may choose to purchase a lifetime license rather than the annual license required under subsection (a). The lifetime license tax or fee shall be as follows:

(1) Spayed or neutered: $35.00.

(2) Unspayed or unneutered: Not available; exception that an unspayed or unneutered annual license may be converted to a lifetime license within one year of license purchase upon proof of alteration.

(c) An owner or person in charge of a dog and/or cat, upon providing proof that the animal meets the criteria provided in subsection (a) and also that the animal has been sterilized may be eligible for a lifetime license provided the owner or person in charge shows proof of an annual income of $25,000.00 or less or participation in such programs as Medicaid, Social Security Disability, or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

(d) Upon the written recommendation of a licensed veterinarian, a waiver may be granted to the spay or neuter requirement when it is determined that age or health reasons may be reason for exemption. In those cases, the fee appearing in subsection (a)(1) above will be charged.

(e) Proof of alteration (spaying or neutering) may be accomplished by providing a proof of sterilization letter or certificate signed by a state licensed veterinarian which describes the pet by name, description, breed, color, age, gender and owner name. Otherwise, alteration may be determined by the director upon physical examination of the animal.

(f) This section does not apply to community cats.

Sec 5-73. – Redemption and adoption.

(a) The owner or person in charge entitled to possession of any dog or cat confined under the provisions of this article, may recover possession of such dog or cat upon payment of the charges set forth in section 5-74 to the director provided such owner or person in charge entitled to recover possession of any dog or cat three months of age or older shall produce a certificate of sterilization, and a certificate or evidence satisfactory to the director that such dog or cat has, within 12 months prior to confinement, been inoculated for rabies, and that all required license fees have been paid for the current year. If the owner or person in charge entitled to possession of any dog or cat so confined is unable to produce a certificate of sterilization, and a certificate or satisfactory evidence of inoculation for rabies and of proper licensing of the dog or cat within the 12-month period prior to the confinement of the dog or cat, before the director shall release the dog or cat, fees shall be paid for the sterilization, inoculation and city license; and

The owner or person in charge entitled to possession of any dog or cat may avoid payment of the redemption fee if the animal has not been sterilized (spayed or neutered) and the owner or person in charge agrees to pay for the sterilization of the animal at the time of redemption as well as securing a license for the animal. In such cases, the animal may be delivered by HAS personnel to a state licensed veterinary office for sterilization and the owner or person in charge shall recover the animal from that office after the sterilization is complete and payment has been tendered to the director in accordance with fees established in section 5-74. At the discretion of and under the supervision of the director, sterilization of animals may be performed at HAS by a properly licensed veterinarian. Unless determined otherwise by the director, sterilization and microchipping of all animals impounded by HAS shall be mandatory and the owner or person in charge shall bear the cost of the sterilization, redemption and a license.

(b) It shall be unlawful for any person to secure any dog or cat from HAS without authority to do so.

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(f) Animals shall be sterilized in accordance with the terms of the adoption agreement.