[Adopted by the Common Council 8-5-1997 by Ord. No. 97-1461 as Secs. 12.18 and 12.19 of the 1997 Code; amended in its
entirety 3-6-2001 by Ord. No. 2001-1640]
Section 95.21, Wis. Stats., as amended from
time to time, is hereby adopted by reference and made a part of this
Municipal Code as though set forth herein in its entirety.
As used in this article, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
A humane society shelter, veterinary hospital or a municipal
pound.
Any horse, bovine, sheep, goat, pig or farm-raised deer.
A peace officer, local health officer, humane officer, warden,
an employee designated by the Department of Agriculture, Trade and
Consumer Protection, or other person designated by the governing body
of the city.
A person who owns, harbors, keeps or controls an animal.
A restraint upon the contact and activities of an animal
designed to prevent the spread of disease.
A.
Whenever a dog, cat or ferret bites a person, which
results in a break of the skin, the owner of such animal and the bite
victim shall notify the Chief of Police, or City Health Officer, who
shall then notify the Chief of Police. The Chief of Police or designee
shall then determine where the animal's ten-day quarantine shall occur.
If the owner provides proof of current rabies vaccination as evidenced
by a valid certificate of rabies vaccination, the animal may be confined
to the owner's premises for 10 days from the date of the bite. If
the rabies vaccination is not current or if a valid certificate of
rabies vaccination is not provided, the animal shall be placed in
an isolation facility for 10 days. After the animal's vaccination
status has been determined, the Chief of Police or designee shall
order the appropriate quarantine. The Franklin Police Department Canine
Unit is exempt from quarantine unless required by the Chief of Police
or City Health Officer.
B.
If a dog, cat or ferret bites a person, the animal
owner or the custodian of an isolation facility shall keep the animal
quarantined under the supervision of a veterinarian for at least 10
days after the incident occurred. Supervision by a veterinarian includes,
at a minimum, examination of the animal on the first day, on the last
day of isolation and on one intervening day. If the veterinarian certifies
that the dog, cat or ferret has not exhibited any signs of rabies,
the animal may be released from quarantine after the 10th day after
the bite occurred.
C.
All other animals (excluding small herbivorous rodents
and livestock) that bite a person resulting in a break of the skin
shall be sacrificed for rabies testing regardless of vaccination status.
An appropriate quarantine is not possible given that the viral shedding
period for such animals is unknown. These include all domesticated
and wild wolf-hybrids, raccoons, skunks, woodchucks, beavers, muskrats,
bats and all other carnivores.
D.
Small herbivorous rodents (excluding bats), whether
domesticated or wild, virtually never call for sacrifice or quarantine
if the animal was behaving normally at the time of the bite. These
include squirrels, hamsters, gerbils, mice, rats, rabbits and hares.
A.
Dog, cat or ferret. if a veterinarian determines that
a dog or cat exhibits symptoms of rabies during the quarantine period,
the veterinarian shall notify the owner, the quarantining officer
and the City Health Department Then the veterinarian shall kill the
animal in a humane manner and in a manner which avoids damage to the
animal's head and forthwith transport the head to the Wisconsin State
Laboratory of Hygiene, which must receive an intact brain in order
to perform testing for the rabies virus.
B.
Dog, cat or ferret. If a quarantine cannot be imposed
because the dog or cat cannot be captured, an officer may kill the
animal. The officer may kill a dog or cat only as a last resort or
if the owner agrees. The officer shall attempt to kill the animal
in a humane manner and in a manner which avoids damage to the animal's
head. The Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene must receive an intact
brain in order to perform testing for the rabies virus.
C.
All other animals. An officer may order killed or
may kill an animal other than a dog or cat if the officer has reason
to believe that the animal bit a person or is infected with rabies.
If livestock is killed, the owner is responsible for an indemnity
payment. (See § 20.115(2)(b), Wis. Stats.) The officer shall
attempt to kill the animal in a humane manner and in a manner which
avoids damage to the animal's head. The Wisconsin State Laboratory
of Hygiene must receive an intact brain in order to perform testing
for the rabies virus.
D.
Once the animal is destroyed or sacrificed, the specimen must be properly prepared and immediately transported to the State Laboratory of Hygiene for rabies testing. In cases where the animal was unowned or if the animal died in an isolation facility, including where an animal is destroyed under Subsections B or C above, the City Health Officer shall obtain the specimen transportation and may utilize the services of the Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission for such purposes. If the City Health Officer is involved, the State Laboratory of Hygiene will report test results directly to the City Health Officer, typically within 24 hours.
A.
The costs of the veterinarian examinations, impoundment
fees and any other related charges shall be paid by the owner(s) of
the animal, jointly and severally, within 30 days of the date of invoice
or notice to pay same mailed to the owner(s)' last known address.
B.
If the animal is a stray or is not domesticated or
the owner of the animal cannot be found, any costs related to the
examination of the animal and the preparation of any required specimens
shall be borne by the city.
