Legal Documents of Bulls Gap

Any dog or cat found running at large may be seized by the health officer or any police officer and placed in a pound provided or designated by the board of mayor and aldermen. If said dog or cat is wearing a tag the owner shall be notified in person, by telephone, or by a postcard addressed to his last-known mailing address to appear within five (5) days and redeem his dog or cat by paying a reasonable pound fee, in accordance with a schedule approved by the board of mayor and aldermen, or the dog or cat will be humanely destroyed or sold. If said dog or cat is not wearing a tag it shall be humanely destroyed or sold unless legally claimed by the owner within two (2) days. No dog or cat shall be released in any event from the pound unless or until such dog or cat has been vaccinated and had a tag evidencing such vaccination placed on its collar.

When, because of its viciousness or apparent infection with rabies, a dog or cat found running at large cannot be safely impounded it may be summarily destroyed by the health officer or any police officer.² (1996 Code, § 10-207)