CODE
OF THE City of SUFFOLK, VIRGINIA Codified through Ord. No. 50-00, adopted May
17, 2000. (Includes Ord. No. 93-99, Sept. 1
1999) (Supplement
No. 1, Addition) ... PART II CODE ...
Chapter 10 ANIMALS* ... ARTICLE II. ... DOGS AND CATS* ...
Sec. 10-66.
Amount of license tax.
(a) There is imposed a license tax which is established in Code of Virginia, §
3.1-796.87 on all dogs, regardless of sex, six months of age or older in the city,
except that no tax shall be levied on any dog that is trained and serves as a
hearing dog or service dog for hearing impaired persons or guide dog for a blind
person.
(b) There is imposed a license tax which is established in Code of Virginia, §
3.1-796.87 for a kennel.
(Code 1976, § 4-22)
State law reference(s)--Authority, Code of Virginia, § 3.1-796.85; amount
of tax, Code of Virginia, § 3.1-796.87.
Sec. 10-67. When license tax payable.
(a) On January 1 and not later than March 1 of each year, the owner of any dog
six months old or older shall pay a license tax as prescribed in section 10-66.
(b) If a dog becomes six months of age or comes into the possession of any person
between January 1 and November 1 of any year, the license tax for the current
calendar year shall be paid by the owner.
(c) If a dog becomes six months of age or comes into the possession of any person
between October 31 and December 31 of any year, the license tax for the succeeding
calendar year shall be paid by the owner, and this license shall be valid from
the date the license is purchased.
(d) The license period shall not exceed the period that the rabies inoculation
is effective as certified by a veterinarian.
(Code 1976, § 4-23)
State law reference(s)--Similar provisions, Code of Virginia, § 3.1-796.88.
Sec. 10-68. Vaccination certificate
to accompany application for license.
Every owner applying for a license for a dog shall exhibit to the treasurer of
the city a vaccination certificate issued in the form prescribed by the city health
officer and showing that the dog was vaccinated at some time during the 36 months
prior to November 1 of the year in which application for the license is made with
a modified live virus approved by the city health officer or showing that the
dog was otherwise treated for immunization against rabies within 12 months prior
to November 1 of the year in which application for license is made by such other
method or treatment approved by the city health officer. No license shall be issued
for a dog if the owner fails, refuses or neglects to exhibit such certificate
to the city treasurer. The license period shall not exceed the period that the
rabies inoculation is effective as certified by a licensed veterinarian.
(Code 1976, § 4-24)
State law reference(s)--Similar provisions, Code of Virginia, § 3.1-796.88.16-47--16-49)
Sec. 10-69. Payment of license tax subsequent
to summons.
Payment of the license tax provided for in section 10-66 subsequent to the issuance
of a warrant or summons to appear before the judge of the general district court
or other court for failure to do so within the time required shall not operate
to relieve such owner from the penalties provided in this article.
(Code 1976, § 4-25)
Sec. 10-70. Failure to pay license tax on time.
Any person convicted of failure to pay the license tax required in section 10-66
prior to February 1 of any year, or as otherwise provided in this division, on
any dog owned by such person, shall be guilty of a class 4 misdemeanor punishable
as provided in section 1-14(4). Such person shall be required to obtain the proper
license; and unless the fine and license tax are immediately paid, the general
district court shall order the dog confiscated and properly disposed of by the
animal control warden or some other officer.
(Code 1976, § 4-26)
State law reference(s)--Similar provisions, Code of Virginia, § 3.1-796.128.
Sec. 10-71. Procedure for obtaining license; issuance
and form of license receipt; delivery of license tag.
(a) A resident of the city may obtain a dog license by making oral or written
application to the treasurer accompanied by the amount of the license tax, and
a certificate of rabies vaccination, presented as provided in section 10-68. The
treasurer shall have authority to license only dogs of resident owners or custodians
who reside within the city and may require information to establish the location
of the residence of any applicant.
(b) Upon receipt of proper application and such certificate of rabies vaccination,
the treasurer shall issue a license receipt for the amount on which he shall record
the name and address of the owner or custodian, the date of payment, the year
for which issued, the serial number of the tag, whether for a male, unsexed female
or female dog or a kennel, and deliver the metal license tags or plates provided
for in this article, together with the receipt.
Sec. 10-72. License to consist of license receipt
and metal tag; form of tags.
A dog license shall consist of a license receipt and a metal tag or plate in a
size and shape that can be conveniently attached to a dog collar. The tag or plate
shall contain a serial number, the calendar year for which issued, the sex of
the dog, and the words "City of Suffolk." The license tag or plate for
a kennel shall, in addition, show the number of dogs authorized to be kept under
such license and have attached a metal identification plate for each of such dogs,
numbered to correspond with the serial number of the license tag or plate.
(Code 1976, § 4-28)
State law reference(s)--Similar provisions, Code of Virginia, § 3.1-796.90.
Sec. 10-73. Replacement of missing license tag.
If a dog license tag shall become lost, destroyed or stolen, the owner or custodian
of the dog with reference to which the tag was issued shall at once apply to the
treasurer who issued the original license for a duplicate license tag. The owner
or custodian shall present the original license receipt. Upon affidavit of the
owner or custodian before the treasurer that the original license tag has been
lost, destroyed or stolen, he shall issue a duplicate license tag, which the owner
or custodian shall immediately affix to the collar or the harness of the dog.
The treasurer shall endorse the number of the duplicate and the date issued on
the face of the original license receipt. The fee for a duplicate shall be established
by the city council and on file in the city clerk's office.
(Code 1976, § 4-29)
State law reference(s)--Similar provisions, Code of Virginia, § 3.1-796.91.
Sec. 10-74. Presumption consequent upon failure of
dog to wear collar bearing license tag.
Any dog not wearing a collar or harness bearing a license tag of the proper calendar
year shall prima facie be deemed to be unlicensed; and in any proceedings under
this article, the burden of proof of the fact that the dog has been licensed or
is otherwise not required to bear a tag at the time shall be on the owner of the
dog.
(Code 1976, § 4-30)
State law reference(s)--Similar provisions, Code of Virginia, § 3.1-796.89.
Sec. 10-75. Making false statements to secure
dog license.
Any person who shall make false statement in order to secure a dog license to
which he is not entitled shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a class 4 misdemeanor
punishable as provided in section 1-14(4).
(Code 1976, § 4-31)
State law reference(s)--Similar provisions, Code of Virginia, § 3.1-796.128.
Sec. 10-76. Duty of treasurer to obtain licenses.
It shall be the duty of the treasurer of the city to obtain the licenses and tags
described in this article and have them available as needed.
(Code 1976, § 4-32)
Sec. 10-77. Lists and accounts, reports and disposition
of unused tags.
The city treasurer shall keep a record of all licenses and tags sold, the amounts
received and the expenditures made. At the end of each year, he shall destroy
all unused tags. All receipts shall be deposited to the credit of the general
fund, and all disbursements shall be made from such fund.
(Code 1976, § 4-33)
Sec. 10-78. Displaying receipts; dogs to wear
tags.
Dog license receipts shall be carefully preserved by the licensees and exhibited
promptly on request for inspection by the animal control warden or other officer.
Dog license tags shall be securely fastened to a substantial collar by the owner
or custodian and worn by such dog. It shall be unlawful for the owner to permit
any licensed dog four months old or older to run or roam at large at any time
without a license tag. The owner of the dog may remove the collar and license
tag required by this section when the dog is engaged in lawful hunting, the dog
is competing in a dog show, the dog has a skin condition that would be exacerbated
by the wearing of a collar, the dog is confined, or the dog is under the immediate
control of its owner.
(Code 1976, §§ 4-34, 4-35)
State law reference(s)--Similar provisions, Code of Virginia, § 3.1-796.92.
Secs. 10-79--10-100. Reserved.
Sec. 10-101. Display of license tag; disposition
of identification plates.
The owner of a kennel shall securely fasten the license tag to the kennel enclosure
in full view and keep
one of the identification plates provided with the tag attached to the collar
or harness of each dog
authorized to be kept enclosed in the kennel. Any identification plates not so
in use must be kept by the
owner or custodian and promptly shown to any animal control warden or other officer
upon request.
(Code 1976, § 4-10)
Sec. 10-102. Permitting kennel dog to stray beyond
limits of enclosure.
A kennel dog shall not be permitted to stray beyond the limits of the enclosure,
but this shall not prohibit
removing dogs from the kennel temporarily while under the control of the owner
or custodian for the
purpose of exercising, hunting, breeding, trial or show.
(Code 1976, § 4-11)
Sec. 10-103. Illegal operation of kennel.
A kennel shall not be operated in such manner as to defraud the city of the license
tax applying to dogs
that cannot be legally covered under this article or in any manner to violate
other provisions of this
article. If the owner of the kennel is found to have violated section 10-78 or
10-102 through negligence
or carelessness, the court may in addition to the prescribed penalty revoke the
kennel license; and the
owner shall be required to obtain an individual license for each dog.
(Code 1976, § 4-12)
Secs. 10-104--10-125. Reserved.