Full Statute Name:  Iowa Code Annotated . TITLE IX. LOCAL GOVERNMENT. SUBTITLE 1. COUNTIES. CHAPTER 351. DOGS AND OTHER ANIMALS. 351.37. Dogs running at large--impoundment--disposition

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Primary Citation:  I. C. A. § 351.37 Country of Origin:  United States Last Checked:  November, 2023 Alternate Citation:  IA ST § 351.37 Date Adopted:  1965 Historical: 
Summary: This Iowa statute provides that a dog shall be impounded by a local board of health or law enforcement official if the dog is running at large and the dog is not wearing a valid rabies vaccination tag. The statute requires that written notice be sent to the owner (if the owner's name can be reasonably determined from a tag or other source) who then has seven days to redeem the dog before it is euthanized.

1. A dog shall be apprehended and impounded by a local board of health or law enforcement official if the dog is running at large and the dog is not wearing a valid rabies vaccination tag or a rabies vaccination certificate is not presented to the local board of health or law enforcement official.

2. The local board of health or law enforcement official shall provide written notice to the owner if the local board of health or law enforcement official can reasonably determine the owner's name and current address by accessing a tag or other device that is on or a part of the dog. The notice shall be sent within two days after the dog has been impounded. The notice shall provide that if the owner does not redeem the dog within seven days from the date that the notice is delivered, the dog may be humanely destroyed or otherwise disposed of in accordance with law. For purposes of this section, notice is delivered when the local board of health or law enforcement official mails the notice which may be by regular mail. An owner may redeem a dog by having it immediately vaccinated and paying the cost of impoundment.

3. If the owner of the impounded dog fails to redeem the dog within seven days from the date of the delivery of the notice to the dog's owner as provided in this section, the dog may be disposed of in accordance with law. If the dog is destroyed, it must be destroyed by euthanasia as defined in section 162.2.

Credits
Added by Acts 1965 (61 G.A.) ch. 311, § 1. Amended by Acts 2002 (79 G.A.) ch. 1130, § 1; Acts 2017 (87 G.A.) ch. 54, H.F. 488, § 76, eff. July 1, 2017. 

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