It shall be the duty of any person who has firsthand knowledge
that a dog or cat or other animal in Radnor Township has been bitten
or otherwise injured by or been exposed to or been in contact with
a dog, cat or other animal infected with or suspected of being infected
with rabies to immediately report the whereabouts of such dog, cat
or animal to the Department, Animal Warden, or Police Department.
Any animal bitten or scratched by either a wild mammal or a
bat that is not available for testing or that has sustained a wound
of unknown origin should be regarded as exposed to rabies. It shall
be the duty of the owner of such animal to follow the procedures set
forth below:
A. Animals that are currently vaccinated against rabies shall be revaccinated
immediately and shall be kept at the owner's premises or at a licensed
veterinary facility for a period of 90 days from the date the wound
occurred. The observation period shall be carried out in such a manner
as will prevent the animal from escaping or running at large.
B. Unvaccinated animals, other than livestock, shall be euthanized immediately.
If the owner is unwilling to have this done, the unvaccinated animal
shall be vaccinated immediately and placed in strict isolation for
a period of six months. The quarantine will take place in an approved
animal facility or at home after inspection and approval by the Township
Health Officer. The procedures required for approval of home quarantine
are as follows:
(1) The animal must not have any possibility of getting outside of the
designated room in the home which has been chosen for confinement.
(2) A quarantine sign, furnished by the Department, must be posted on
the door of the room where the animal is confined.
(3) There must be only one designated caretaker for the animal. If at
any time the caretaker becomes unable to care for the animal, the
caretaker shall surrender the animal to a veterinarian until the caretaker
can assume responsibility. The animal must not be able to have contact
with anyone who comes into the home or with any other animal.
(4) The animal must wear a quarantine collar, or other acceptable identification,
provided by the Department. The owner will be responsible for a fee
to cover the agreed upon cost of identification. The collar (or other
identification) must not be removed or changed until the quarantine
period is over.
(5) The Township Health Officer will make periodic and unannounced visits to ensure that the quarantine is being done as directed. If it is discovered that the caretaker is not in compliance, with Subsection
B(1),
(2) and
(4), the home quarantine will immediately be suspended and the animal must be brought to a veterinary facility for the duration of the quarantine or must be euthanized.
(6) At the end of the six-month quarantine period, the owner must have
the animal examined by a veterinarian, and a certification that the
animal is free of rabies and properly vaccinated must be signed by
the veterinarian and sent to the Director, Department of Community
Development.
(7) It is recommended that the caretaker discuss with his or her personal
physician the advisability of receiving rabies pre-exposure vaccine.
(8) The notice of quarantine will be published in a newspaper of general
circulation within the Township, posted on the Radnor Township website,
and/or included on the Community Bulletin Board of the Township's
televised Government Access Channel.
(9) Costs associated with the quarantine shall be borne by the animal's
owner.
C. Livestock shall be handled in accordance with the current recommendations
of the NASPHV Compendium of Animal Rabies Control and the Pennsylvania
Department of Agriculture.
D. If at any time during the observation period an animal becomes ill,
such fact shall be communicated at once to the Director.
E. If at any time during the observation period an animal should die,
the owner shall immediately notify the Director and allow for the
head of the animal to be submitted for testing of rabies.