Animal control
officers are available Monday through
Saturday between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30
p.m. each day. The officers' primary
responsibility is to respond to citizen
complaints about animal control ordinance
violations. The officers patrol the
streets looking for stray animals that
are running at large or running without
an approved rabies tag. They also look
for lost pets, investigate bite cases,
investigate pit bull registrations,
pick up wounded or dead animals, and
operate and maintain the Animal Shelter.
Vaccination
Required
All
dogs and cats over six (6) months
of age must be vaccinated against
rabies by a licensed veterinarian
and a certificate of vaccination issued
to the owner.
Running
at large and rabies tags
Any
dog found running at large or any
dog or cat found without a proper
rabies tag may be seized. Any owner
whose dog is found to be running at
large or whose dog or cat has not
been vaccinated against rabies will
be issued a citation.
Impoundment
of dogs or cats
When
any dog is found running at large
or when any dog or cat is found without
the proper rabies tag, it is impounded,
and the owner, if the dog or cat bears
a tag of identification, is sent by
mail a postcard addressed to the last
known mailing address or notified
in person, to appear within five (5)
days to redeem the dog or cat, or
the animal will be disposed of.
An
owner appearing to redeem his dog
or cat must pay an impoundment fee
of thirty dollars ($30.00) and a boarding
fee of ten dollars ($10.00) per day
or fraction thereof the animal remains
unclaimed. If the dog or cat has not
been vaccinated, the owner must, before
regaining possession of the animal,
have it vaccinated and licensed and
present the license registration to
the Animal Control Division. No impounded
dog is released without wearing a
collar and a leash.
The
payment of the fees and the delivery
of the dog or cat to the owner do
not relieve the owner from any other
penalty for the violation.
Stray
animals or animals without an identification
tag
Unlicensed
or unclaimed dogs or cats are impounded
for a period of two (2) days and may
be disposed of thereafter by adoption
or euthanasia. Any unidentified dog
or cat suffering from rabies or other
infectious or dangerous disease, or
appearing to be in misery, may be
disposed of immediately.
Dogs
or cats which have bitten persons
or are suspected of having rabies
If
a dog or cat has bitten any person,
or is suspected of having bitten any
person, or is for any reason suspected
of being infected with rabies, the
animal control officer may cause the
animal to be confined or isolated
for such time as it is deemed necessary
by the city veterinarian to protect
the safety of people and of property.
Any
dog that attacks or bites a person
or a domestic animal without provocation
will be impounded and the owner issued
a citation for having a "vicious
dog".
Adoption
of Dogs or Cats
Any
responsible person wishing to adopt
a dog or cat may do so by going to
the Animal Shelter, picking out an
animal, and paying the required fees.
The adoption fees are twenty-five
dollars ($25.00) for a dog and twenty
dollars ($20.00) for a cat. A spay/neuter
fee of twenty-five ($25.00) is also
required. The spay/neuter fee will
be refunded if the person adopting
the animal provides proper documentation
of the procedure to the city.
Noisy
Dogs
It
is unlawful for any person to own,
keep or harbor any dog that annoys
or disturbs the peace and quiet of
any neighborhood. If a noisy pet is
disturbing you or your neighborhood,
please call the Animal Control Division
or the Police Department and an officer
will respond to your residence. You
will be asked to sign a private prosecutor
form and report to court to prosecute
the owner of the dog.
PIT
BULLS REGULATED
It
is unlawful to own or keep a pit bull
dog within the City of Springfield
without following the required ordinance.
All owners of pit bulls must register
their dogs, provide identification
photographs of the dogs, and must
have proper signs posted warning people
of a pit bull on premises. All pit
bulls must be kenneled in a structure
that is fully enclosed and locked
and no dog can go outside its kennel
or pen without being muzzled and securely
leashed with a leash no longer than
four (4) feet in length.
All
structures used to confine pit bull
dogs must be locked with a key or
combination lock when such animals
are within the structure and the structure
must have a secure floor attached
to the sided of the pen or the sides
of the pen must be embedded in the
ground no less than two (2) feet.
Springfield, Tennessee 37172