§ 4-27. Insurance and financial responsibility.

(a)

Any owner of a dangerous dog shall be required to obtain and maintain a policy of insurance in an amount not less than one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00), insuring the owner against any claim, loss, damage or injury to persons resulting from the acts (whether intentional or unintentional) of said dog if that person continues to own, harbor or take care of said dog.

(b)

Financial responsibility shall be evidenced by filing with the police department a certificate of insurance from an insurance company authorized to do business in the State of Florida, valid for at least the one (1) year registration period. The City of Lauderhill shall be listed as an additional insured and a certificate holder such that the city will be notified if the insurance coverage expires or terminates. The city's risk manager is hereby empowered to establish specific insurance requirements uniform to all dangerous dogs depending on the insurance markets, from time to time, and will provide the owners of dangerous dogs with these requirements within a reasonable time period upon written request. Proof of financial responsibility shall be a condition precedent to the city's approving or re-approving the dog's registration.

(c)

As an alternative to maintaining the insurance otherwise required above, proof of financial responsibility may be evidenced by establishing a cash escrow with the city as escrow agent or by establishing a security escrow where the city holds securities (and stock or other powers appropriate to liquidate such securities) as an escrow agent. The value of the escrow of cash and securities shall at all times be maintained in the minimum amount of ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00) per dangerous dog. In the event at any time the escrow is reduced as provided herein, it shall be a requirement that the value of the escrow be restored to its required minimum amount. In the event a report is issued by or provided to the city that a dangerous dog bit a person or seriously injured a domestic animal, the city shall notify the victim (or parent, guardian, or owner of the victim if the victim is a minor or domestic animal) of the registration and financial responsibility. Additionally, if the city holds escrow, the city may use the cash or liquidate the securities, and use the net proceeds thereof to reimburse the person (or parents or legal guardian of the person if the person is a minor) for any unpaid hospital or medical or rehabilitation treatment, or for any veterinary care or treatment provided to the domestic animal. In the event of a violation of this article, the city may use the amount in escrow to pay for any enforcement action the city may take, including but not limited to seeking an order requiring the dangerous dog involved destroyed. This paragraph shall be supplemental to other methods of enforcing the city's law that are available to the city. The registrant shall reimburse the city for any legal costs incurred by the city in establishing, monitoring, or performing the escrow. In addition to the registration fee provided in this article, the city shall be entitled to charge an escrow fee of one hundred dollars ($100.00) per dangerous dog per registration period to offset administrative costs and expenses that the city incurs in monitoring the escrow. Finally, in the event of a cash escrow, the city may commingle the funds with other city funds, may keep any investment return thereon, will only be required to account for the principal thereof, and only the principal thereof will be used to determine the minimum amount of such escrow for maintenance purposes.

(Ord. No. 06O-10-174, § 1, 11-13-06)