Sec. 531-712. - Enforcement authority's rights and responsibilities.
(a) Persons who are individually charged with the enforcement of this chapter, within the animal care services agency, shall be designated animal control officers, and prior to the performance of any act in connection therewith, shall be appointed and sworn as special police officers pursuant to chapter 279, of the Code. Such animal control officers shall also receive appropriate and relevant training and be certified by the National Animal Control Association or other appropriate agency.
(b) It shall be the duty of the Indianapolis metropolitan police department to assist in the enforcement of all provisions of this chapter and other ordinances in relation to animals, and it shall be the duty of all officers of such agency to report at once all violations thereof to police or sheriff's headquarters.
(c) Such officers are authorized to enforce all provisions of this chapter and section 836-5 of this Code, including the right to proceed upon public and private property in the city in pursuit of animals in violation of this chapter.
(d) Such officers are not authorized to enter a privately owned enclosure in pursuit of an animal without the consent of the owner, lessee or other occupant of the enclosure, or other legal process; provided, however, if any animal is believed to be enclosed without adequate food, shelter and water, or dead animals are believed to be enclosed, and such owner or occupant is not present and cannot readily be located, an animal control officer may affix a notice to the premises in an obvious location, directing the occupant to contact the officer at a given location and phone number. If neither the occupant nor anyone on the occupant's behalf responds to such notice within twenty-four (24) hours after the notice is affixed, an animal control officer may enter the premises to determine if the provisions of this chapter or section 836-5 of this Code have been violated.
(G.O. 169, 1999, § 5; G.O. 5, 2004, § 1; G.O. 110, 2005, § 35; G.O. 47, 2009, § 35; G.O. 8, 2011, § 13; G.O. 13, 2016, § 34; G.O. 41, 2016, § 2; G.O. 37, 2024, § 1)
