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<baltimore-city-law heading="§ 10-223 Surrender or removal of animal on denial, etc.">
  <section prefix="§" num="10-223" heading="Surrender or removal of animal on denial, etc.">
    <para num="(a)" heading="In general.">A person whose license or permit for an animal is denied, suspended, or revoked must, within 5 days of the denial, suspension, or revocation:<para num="(1)">surrender the animal to the Office; or</para>
      <para num="(2)">elect to transfer the animal to a new owner and provide the Office with the two notarized affidavits required by subsection (b) of this section.</para>
    </para>
    <para num="(b)" heading="Affidavits required for transfer of animal to new owner.">If the current owner elects to permanently transfer the animal to a new owner, then:<para num="(1)">within 5 days of the denial, suspension, or revocation of the owner’s license or permit for the animal, the current owner must provide an affidavit to the Office, on the form designated by Office, that includes the following:<para num="(i)">the name, breed, age, weight, and physical description of the animal;</para>
        <para num="(ii)">the new owner’s name, address, phone number, and email address;</para>
        <para num="(iii)">the address where the animal will reside;</para>
        <para num="(iv)">an acknowledgment that, after transferring the animal to the new owner, the current owner will make no attempt to regain ownership or possession of the animal for the remainder of the animal’s life;</para>
        <para num="(v)">any other information that the Office requires; and</para>
        <para num="(vi)">the current owner’s notarized signature; and</para>
      </para>
      <para num="(2)">within the same 5-day period, the new owner must provide an affidavit to the Office, on the form designated by Office, that includes the following:<para num="(i)">the name, breed, age, weight, and physical description of the animal;</para>
        <para num="(ii)">the new owner’s name, address, phone number, and email address;</para>
        <para num="(iii)">the address where the animal will reside;</para>
        <para num="(iv)">an acknowledgment that, after the transfer of the animal to the new owner, the new owner accepts permanent ownership and possession of the animal;</para>
        <para num="(v)">an acknowledgment that, after the transfer of the animal to the new owner, the new owner will not transfer the animal back to the current owner for the remainder of the animal’s life;</para>
        <para num="(vi)">an acknowledgment that the new owner consents to an inspection of the address where the animal will reside prior to the transfer of the animal;</para>
        <para num="(vii)">any other information that the Office requires; and</para>
        <para num="(viii)">the new owner’s notarized signature.</para>
      </para>
    </para>
    <para num="(c)" heading="Office to verify affidavits and suitability of new owner.">
      <para num="(1)">Before transferring the animal to the proposed new owner, the Office must:<para num="(i)">verify the information provided in the affidavits provided pursuant to subsection (b) of this section;</para>
        <para num="(ii)">verify that the proposed new owner meets the Office’s standards for animal adoption; and</para>
        <para num="(iii)">verify the suitability of the new environment for the animal.</para>
      </para>
      <para num="(2)">If the Office, in its sole discretion, determines that any information contained in the notarized affidavits is false, or that another of the requirements of subsection (c)(1) of this section cannot be met, the Office may immediately confiscate the animal.</para>
    </para>
    <para num="(d)" heading="Reclaiming animal to be transferred.">After the Office’s verification and approval of the notarized affidavits, the new owner must reclaim the animal in accordance with &lt;cite data-path="|health|§10-805"&gt;§ 10-805 {“ Reclaiming animal”} of this title&lt;/cite&gt; within 72 hours of notice of the approval from the Office.</para>
    <para num="(e)" heading="Confiscation for failure to comply.">Failure to comply with any of the requirements of this section may result in the immediate confiscation by the Office of the animal for which a license has been denied, suspended, or revoked.</para>
    <annotation type="Prior Codifications">City Code, 1976/83, art. 11, §29(b)(1st cl.)</annotation>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 99-548</annotation>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 11-573</annotation>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 15-322</annotation>
  </section>
</baltimore-city-law>
