<div class="chunk-title">Sec. 6-55. - Release of animal conditioned upon payment of standard fee; certificate for sterilization procedure; extension of certificate.</div>
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               (a)
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               No dog or cat may be released for adoption from a releasing agency unless the adopting
               party pays a standard fee at the time of adoption to defray the cost to spay or neuter
               the animal, which fee shall be treated as a nonrefundable deposit after the first
               five days of ownership. The standard fee charged by the releasing agency and paid
               by the adopter shall be set by the county board of health. The releasing agency shall
               issue a certificate to the owner for the face amount of the deposit, which certificate
               may be presented to the veterinarian of his choice to be applied toward the cost to
               spay or neuter the animal. The county will be responsible for the payment to the veterinarian
               of the face amount of the certificates for services rendered in performing the sterilizing
               procedure.
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               (b)
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               If an animal has an obvious surgical scar in the area appropriate for a spay/neuter
               procedure, the veterinarian may issue a written statement of this finding which will
               extend the time period of the certificate issued by the releasing agency for one year
               to allow for the possibility of the animal coming in heat within that one year. At
               the time of surgery, if an animal is found to have been sterilized previously, the
               certificate will be used against the cost of preoperative and/or exploratory surgery.
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            <p class="historynote0">
               (Code 1984, Â§ 3-42; Ord. of 8-6-1990, Â§ 3-32; Ord. of 9-2-1991, Â§ 3-32; Ord. of 8-19-2019)
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