A.
Two months after the effective date of this article, it shall be
unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to own, possess, maintain,
regularly feed, house or keep any dog or cat over three months of
age within the Township, unless such dog or cat is identified as having
a current rabies vaccination by one of the following means: a collar
with the NASPH-recommended tag attached thereto which is worn at all
times; implantation of a microchip; or some other permanent marking
or tag approved by the Board of Health.
B.
Within two months after the effective date of this article, every
owner of a dog or cat in the Township of Radnor which is over three
months of age shall have such dog or cat vaccinated against rabies
by or under the supervision of a veterinarian, unless such dog or
cat has a vaccination whose duration of immunity has not expired.
C.
Within 10 days after any dog in the Township of Radnor becomes three
months of age, the owner of any dog shall have such dog licensed by
the appropriate agency of Delaware County and shall have such animal
vaccinated against rabies by or under the supervision of a veterinarian.
D.
Within 10 days after any cat in the Township of Radnor becomes three
months of age, the owner of such cat shall have such animal vaccinated
against rabies by or under the supervision of a veterinarian.
E.
Within 30 days after the arrival in the Township of any dog or cat over three months of age, the owner of such dog shall comply with Subsection C above and the owner of such cat shall comply with Subsection D above. The vaccination requirements of this Subsection E shall not apply to any dog or cat which has a vaccination whose duration of immunity is still in effect.
F.
Within the time span recommended by NASPHV, the owner of any previously
vaccinated dog or cat in the Township of Radnor shall have such dog
or cat revaccinated against rabies by or under the supervision of
a veterinarian, except in the case of a local epidemic, at which time
more frequent vaccination may be required by the Township.
G.
Licensure requirements for dogs and cats belonging to Radnor Township
residents or dogs and cats present in Radnor Township shall, at a
minimum, be in strict conformity with the licensing requirements of
Delaware County.
A.
If a dog which does not have a current license and a dog or cat that
does not have a current vaccination certificate is seized by a police
officer or other authorized official of the Township of Radnor, such
dog or cat shall be detained for a time period not exceeding 10 days.
If claimed by the owner, the owner shall ensure that the dog or cat
is vaccinated against rabies by or under the supervision of a veterinarian,
and a rabies vaccination certificate signed by said veterinarian must
be presented to the Director within 24 hours after such dog or cat
is released to the owner or his representative. If unlicensed, the
owner shall obtain a license from Delaware County prior to release.
B.
The owner of a dog or cat detained as aforesaid shall pay all reasonable
expenses incurred by reason of its detention before it is released
to the owner or representative. Any dog or cat not claimed in accordance
with this article shall be disposed of in a humane manner and in accordance
with all applicable statutes of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
A.
It shall be the duty of any person who has firsthand knowledge that
a dog, cat or other animal has bitten or injured any person in the
Township of Radnor to immediately report the facts and the whereabouts
of such dog, cat or other animal to the Department, Animal Warden,
or Police Department, and it shall be the duty of the owner of any
dog, cat or other animal to immediately confine and isolate it in
such a manner as will prevent it from escaping or running at large.
Upon receipt of such information, the Department, Animal Warden, or
Police Department shall advise the owner as to the procedure to be
followed with respect to further confinement and examination of the
dog, cat or other animal.
B.
Confinement procedure of a currently vaccinated biting animal.
(1)
If the animal is currently vaccinated against rabies and proof of
such vaccination is provided to the Department within 24 hours, the
animal must be confined by the owner for an observational period of
10 days from the date on which the bite occurred. Confinement may
be at the home of the owner or at some other location approved by
the Director and shall be in such a manner as will prevent it from
running at large.
(2)
If at any time during said ten-day observation period the dog, cat
or other animal develops signs indicative of illness, such fact shall
be communicated at once to the Department and the dog, cat or other
animal shall immediately be removed to a veterinary hospital acceptable
to the Department.
(3)
If at any time after the dog, cat or other animal is placed in confinement
and it develops signs of rabies, it shall be disposed of in a manner
as the Director shall deem appropriate.
(4)
At the end of the ten-day observation period, the dog, cat or other
animal shall be examined by a duly licensed veterinarian employed
by the owner and a written result of such examination shall be submitted
by the owner within 24 hours to the Director. If the report reveals
no signs indicative of rabies, the dog, cat or other animal shall
be released from confinement.
C.
Confinement procedures for an unvaccinated biting animal.
(1)
Animals which are unvaccinated shall be confined for an observation
period of 10 days from the date when the bite occurred in a veterinary
hospital acceptable to the Director. The owner, if any, shall submit
the receipt for such an animal to the Department or Police Department
upon the same day it is placed in the hospital.
(2)
If at any time during the ten-day observation period the dog, cat
or other animal develops signs indicative of rabies, such fact shall
be communicated by the owner (or, if no owner, by the head of the
veterinary hospital) at once to the Department and the dog, cat or
other animal shall be tested in a manner the Director deems appropriate.
(3)
At the end of the ten-day observation period the dog, cat, or other
animal will be examined by a duly licensed veterinarian employed by
the owner and a written report of the results of such examination
shall be submitted by the owner (or, if no owner, by the head of the
veterinary hospital) within 24 hours to the Department. If the report
reveals no signs indicative of rabies, the dog, cat or other animal
may be released from confinement to the owner after having been properly
vaccinated. If there is no owner of the dog, cat or animal, it shall
be disposed of in a humane manner and in accordance with applicable
statutes of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
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.
