Impoundment and disposition of certain cats. Authority to spay or neuter unclaimed cat.

(b) If such cat is not claimed by and released to the owner within seven days after the date of publication, the municipal animal control officer, upon finding such cat to be in satisfactory health, may have a licensed veterinarian spay or neuter any such cat and sell such cat to any person who satisfies such officer that he is purchasing it as a pet and that he can give it a good home and proper care. The municipal animal control officer may retain possession of such cat for such additional period of time as he may deem advisable in order to place such cat as a pet and may have a licensed veterinarian spay or neuter such cat. If, within such period, any cat is not claimed by and released to the owner or keeper or purchased as a pet, the officer shall cause such cat to be mercifully killed by a licensed veterinarian or disposed of as the State Veterinarian may direct. No person who so destroys a cat shall be held criminally or civilly liable therefor nor shall any licensed veterinarian who spays or neuters a cat pursuant to this section be held civilly liable, including, but not limited to, liability for reconstructive neutical implantation surgery. (c) Any cat captured or impounded under the provisions of subsection (a) of this section shall be redeemed by the owner or keeper thereof, or the agent of such owner or keeper, upon proper identification, and presentation to the municipal animal control officer of a license, tag or other means of identification for such cat, and upon the payment by such owner or keeper or his agent of (1) the redemption fee established by the municipality, which shall not exceed fifteen dollars, and (2) the cost of advertising incurred under the provisions of subsection (a) of this section. When the owner or keeper of any such impounded cat fails to redeem such cat within twenty-four hours after receiving notification to do so, or, where the owner was unknown, within twenty-four hours after notification was effected by means of publication in a newspaper, such owner or keeper shall pay, in addition to such redemption fee and the cost of advertising, the amount determined by the municipality to be the full cost of detention and care of such impounded cat. In addition, any owner or keeper of any such impounded cat who fails to redeem such cat within one hundred twenty hours after receiving notification to do so shall have committed an infraction. The legislative body of the municipality shall set any fees imposed by the municipality under this section.