Employment, appointment, or contract with animal control officers -- Establishment and maintenance of animal shelters -- Intergovernmental agreements -- Authority of animal control officers
KRS 258.195
in effect258.195. Employment, appointment, or contract with animal control officers -- Establishment and maintenance of animal shelters -- Intergovernmental agreements -- Authority of animal control officers
(1) The governing body of each county shall employ, appoint, or contract with an animal control officer, or shall contract with an entity that employs, appoints, or contracts with an animal control officer, and shall establish and maintain an animal shelter as a means of facilitating and administering KRS 258.095 to 258.500. One
(1) or more counties may enter into intergovernmental agreements for the establishment of regional animal shelters, or may contract with entities authorized to maintain sheltering and animal control services. Animal shelters shall meet the standards provided by KRS 258.119(3)(b) within three (3) years after July 13, 2004. Governing bodies may adopt additional standards and ordinances related to public health, safety, enforcement, and the efficient and appropriate operation of their shelters and their animal control programs.
(2) Cities may employ, appoint, or contract with animal control officers, or may contract with an entity that employs, appoints, or contracts with animal control officers, for the enforcement of this chapter and local animal control ordinances within their corporate limits. Cities may enter into agreements with the counties for the enforcement of the county's animal control ordinances. The agreement shall include, but shall not necessarily be limited to, setting out the jurisdiction and the duties of the animal control officer respective to the agreement.
(3) Animal control officers shall have the authority to issue uniform citations, local citations, or local notices for the enforcement of the provisions of this chapter, the provisions of the Kentucky Revised Statutes relating to cruelty, mistreatment, or torture of animals, and animal control ordinances in their respective jurisdictions.
Effective: July 13, 2004
History: Amended 2004 Ky. Acts ch. 189, sec. 15, effective July 13, 2004. -- Amended 1998 Ky. Acts ch. 440, sec. 2, effective July 15, 1998. -- Created 1954 Ky. Acts ch. 119, sec. 22, effective June 17, 1954.
Source: Kentucky Legislative Research Commission (legislature.ky.gov)URL: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=12452Fetched: 10/20/2026