A.
The owner of a dog, cat, or ferret shall have the animal vaccinated
by a veterinarian at not later than five months of age; or, if an
owner obtains or brings an animal into the Town that has reached five
months of age, unless that animal has been vaccinated as evidenced
by a current certificate of rabies vaccination from this state or
another state, the owner of that animal shall have the animal revaccinated:
B.
The owner of an animal may petition the Police Department for an
exemption to this section. Exemptions shall only be considered if
a licensed veterinarian provides a detailed written explanation stating
the vaccination is inadvisable because of a reaction to a previous
vaccination, a physical condition, or a regimen of therapy that the
dog is undergoing. A new letter shall be required for each year that
an exemption is sought.
All incidents occurring in the Town in which any animal bites
or scratches a person or another animal, or is suspected of such,
shall immediately be reported to the Police Department by any person
having knowledge of such incident. If the bite or scratch is caused
by an animal for which there is no rabies vaccine or known quarantine,
the animal, at the discretion of the Police Department, may be euthanized
and analyzed for rabies with all expenses incurred being the responsibility
of the owner.
A.
If any animal for which the owner holds a current rabies certificate
is involved in a bite or scratch incident, the owner shall quarantine
and confine the animal under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian
for at least 10 days from the date of the incident. The animal may
be quarantined on the premises of the owner, but shall not be allowed
to come into contact with other animals or people during the period
of confinement. Supervision of a veterinarian includes, at a minimum,
examination of the animal on the first day, on the 10th day, and on
one intervening day.
B.
Any animal without a current rabies certificate involved in a bite or scratch incident, or any other animal that the officer has reason to believe has bitten a person or is infected with rabies, must be confined at a veterinary hospital or a place designated by the Police Department under the conditions described in Subsection A, above.
C.
The owner of any animal involved in a bite or scratch incident is
responsible for any expenses incurred.
A.
When reports indicate a positive diagnosis of rabies to the extent
that lives of persons are endangered, the Town Chairman may declare
an area-wide quarantine within such borders and for such period as
are deemed necessary.
B.
In the event of a general quarantine for rabies, all dogs and cats
shall be kept securely confined, tied, leashed or muzzled. Any dog
or cat not confined, tied, leashed or muzzled is declared a public
nuisance and may be impounded.
C.
When quarantine for rabies has been declared by the Town Chairman,
the Town Clerk shall promptly post, in at least three public places
within the quarantine area, notices of quarantine.
D.
A dog or cat which is immunized currently against rabies as evidenced
by a valid certificate of rabies vaccination or other evidence is
exempt from the general quarantine restrictions if a rabies vaccination
tag or substitute tag is attached to the animal's collar.
A.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, a service dog
shall not be quarantined in the absence of evidence that it has been
exposed to rabies unless the owner fails:
B.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, a police dog
used by any recognized law enforcement agency shall not be quarantined
during general quarantine, or after biting any person, if such bite
occurred while the dog was being used for any law enforcement purpose.
