The Northwood Police Department responds to animal complaint calls and many times, this involves dogs that have gotten out of their yard and are running at large.  The department takes every step to ensure that we attempt to locate the owner of the dog and have the dog returned home safely before the Wood County Dog Warden is contacted.  The Northwood Police Department does not pick up found cats.  If you find a lost cat in your neighborhood, please contact the Wood County Humane Society at (419) 352-7339.

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We understand that dogs can accidentally get out from time to time.  If a dog is running through the neighborhoods and officers pick the dog up, the dog will be transported to the police department, where the dog will be placed in a kennel with food and water.  Officers will check on the dog throughout their shift until either the owner picks the dog up or the Dog Warden picks the dog up.

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The City of Northwood charges a capture fee of $6.00 and a kennel fee per day (min. one day) of $17.00.  Repeat offenses can result in the owner being charged with Dogs Running At Large (N.C.O. 618.01; M4).

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The Northwood Police Department offers Lost Dog Registration, free for its citizens.  Residents can register their dog's information in our secure database, and if their dog is picked up by one of our officers, we will attempt to locate the owner with the information the owner has provided to us.  Owners can even submit a picture or two of their dog for easy identification.  Along with looking up dog information, we also post a picture of the found dog on our department's Facebook page, so that the community can also help identify the dog.  Please note that while the department makes every attempt to locate the owner using the database and other resources, the department may not always be able to locate the owner of the dog.  If your dog was transferred to the Wood County Dog Warden, please call (419) 354-9242.  You can register your dog by clicking the link at the top of the page or by clicking here.

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In accordance with the Northwood Codified Ordinance Section 618.01 (Animals Running At Large; Nuisance, Dangerous and Vicious Dogs; Hearings), No person, being the owner of any animal or fowl, or harboring or having charge or control of the same, shall permit such animal or fowl to run at large in any street, lane, alley, market place or public ground of the City or permit such animal or fowl to go upon or enter any private yard, lot or enclosure, without consent of the owner of such yard, lot or enclosure.  The owner of any private yard, lot or enclosure upon whose private property an animal runs at large in violation of the provisions of this section, is hereby authorized and permitted to undertake the necessary and reasonable steps to apprehend and temporarily impound such animal for the purpose of safeguarding his personal property and to aid in the effective enforcement of the provisions of this section.  Any owner of private property apprehending and impounding an animal under the provisions hereof shall use such necessary and reasonable means to accomplish such apprehension and impounding as required without unnecessarily alarming such animal or inflicting injury upon or being cruel to such animal.  The owner of private property apprehending and impounding any animal under the provisions hereof shall thereupon promptly notify the Police Department and shall strictly comply with all instructions and regulations thereupon issued by such public officials.  The owner of any private property apprehending or impounding an animal contrary to the provisions hereof or using means or measures which are not permitted by the foregoing provisions shall forfeit the privilege herein granted of apprehending and impounding such animal; otherwise the owner of private property acting hereunder shall be immune from any civil charge or action by the owner of such animal as to any action taken by such owner of private property under the provisions hereof.  The term “owner of private property” shall be deemed to include members of the immediate household of such owner or any other parties having possessory rights to private property derived from or granted by the owner thereof.

(Ord. 63-12.  Passed 4-8-63; Ord. 2003-29.  Passed 9-11-03.)

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