[R.O. 2005 §5-46; CC 1997 §5-46]
A. Every
person who owns any dog or cat, whether in a kennel or not, that is
kept any time during the year within the City or who permits a dog
or cat to come upon, on or in the City or to remain in or about his/her
home, place of business or other premises in the City shall have such
dog or cat vaccinated against rabies and registered as provided in
the County Rabies Control Code. Such dogs or cats shall be vaccinated
at least once each year if a nerve tissue origin vaccine is used.
If a chicken embryo or other three (3) year type vaccine, approved
by the Health Commissioner, is administered, the dogs or cats shall
be inoculated at least once every three (3) years. If any other type
of vaccine, approved by the Health Commissioner, is administered,
such dog or cat shall be inoculated at the frequency approved by the
Health Commissioner.
B. It
shall be unlawful for any person to own any dog or cat, unless such
dog or cat has been vaccinated against rabies and wears a current
registration tag. The owner shall possess a certificate issued in
accordance with the provisions of the County Rabies Control Code.
[R.O. 2005 §5-47; CC 1997 §5-47]
Every dog or cat which has been vaccinated in accordance with
the provisions of the County Rabies Control Code shall at all times
wear the registration tag in the manner prescribed in such code.
[R.O. 2005 §5-48; CC 1997 §5-48]
All dogs and cats brought into the City shall comply with the
rabies vaccination requirements of this Article.
[R.O. 2005 §5-49; CC 1997 §5-49]
No owner of any animal subject to rabies shall abandon such
animal in the City.
[R.O. 2005 §5-50; CC 1997 §5-50]
Any person within the City having information or knowledge of
any animal within the City that exhibits clinical symptoms suggestive
of rabies, has been exposed to rabies or is suspected of having rabies
shall report such knowledge or information to the County Health Department
and the Department of Police of the City.
[R.O. 2005 §5-51; CC 1997 §5-51]
A. Any
dog, cat or other animal which exhibits objective symptoms suggestive
of rabies may, after written certification to the owner by the Health
Commissioner or such other person designated by the Council for the
enforcement of this Article, be impounded on or off the property of
the owner. This animal shall be held for ten (10) days for clinical
observation at the impounding facilities designated by the Council
and, if alive at the termination of this period, shall be returned
to the owner after payment of the shelter service fee. As an alternative
procedure, the owner, at his/her own expense, may designate any veterinary
hospital in the County wherein such animal shall be impounded and
observed for a similar ten-day period. If such animal shall die during
the observation period, regardless of location, the head shall be
removed and submitted to a qualified laboratory for examination.
B. Any
dog, cat or other animal, which has been exposed to rabies, shall
be immediately destroyed unless the owner, at his/her expense, desires,
chooses, specifies, picks or elects one (1) of the following alternative
methods:
1. Strict isolation in a kennel or animal hospital for six (6) months;
2. If no previous vaccination has been given to a dog or cat within
a period of three (3) years with chicken embryo vaccine, within one
(1) year with vaccine of nerve tissue origin or if other vaccine approved
by the Health Commissioner was used and if the effective protection
limit of the last such vaccination has passed, the dog or cat shall
be placed on a schedule of immunization approved by the Health Commissioner;
3. If a dog or cat has been vaccinated previously with another vaccine
approved by the Health Commissioner within the duration of the vaccine's
effective protection as approved by the Health Commissioner, the animal
shall be revaccinated and restrained by a leash or confined at home
for thirty (30) days.
C. Prior
to release of any dog or cat under clinical observation for rabies,
all conditions of this Article shall be fulfilled.
[R.O. 2005 §5-52; CC 1997 §5-52]
A. The
Health Commissioner or person designated by him/her or such other
person as may be designated by the Council shall dispose of any dog
or cat or other animal infected with rabies. Such person so designated
shall have the power to examine and impound any animal bitten by or
exposed to any other animal infected with rabies. He/she shall have
the power to require the owners of such dogs or cats to take such
necessary measures to prevent further spread of rabies and to dispose
of any exposed animal, if such necessary measures are not taken by
the owners.
B. Any
person destroying an animal infected with rabies or suspected of being
infected with rabies shall immediately notify the County Health Department
and the Police of the City. Such person shall surrender the carcass
of such animal upon demand. The owner or custodian of any such destroyed
animal shall immediately provide the County Health Department and
the Police of the City with full particulars thereof, including the
time, date, location, the name and address of the owner or person
having custody of any animal exposed to the animal destroyed.
[R.O. 2005 §5-53; CC 1997 §5-53]
A. Whenever
rabies becomes prevalent in the City, the Mayor shall, according to
the necessity of the case, issue a quarantine order requiring every
owner or person in charge of any dog or cat whether vaccinated and
licensed or not, within the City, to either euthanize his/her dog
or cat or confine it in the home or some other secure building. Whenever,
during a quarantine, it is necessary that a dog or cat leave the confines
of a home or other secure building, such dog or cat shall be placed
on a leash no more than six (6) feet in length and under the direct
physical control of a competent person not less than fifteen (15)
years of age. Such order shall be published once in a paper publishing
the business of the City or shall be posted in at least twenty (20)
conspicuous places about the City. The Mayor may by proclamation terminate
any such quarantine whenever in his/her judgment the necessity for
it no longer exists.
B. Whenever
any quarantine order is issued, it shall be the duty of all members
of the Police Department of the City and such other persons as may
be designated by the Council to euthanize all dogs or cats found running
at large, except those which have been immunized.
[R.O. 2005 §5-54; CC 1997 §5-54]
It shall be unlawful for any person to conceal an animal or
interfere with the Health Commissioner, persons designated by him/her
or such other persons who may be designated by the Council in the
performance of their legal duties as provided by this Article. The
Health Commissioner, persons designated by him/her or such other persons
who may be designated by the Council shall have the right of entry
onto any unenclosed lots or lands for the purpose of collecting any
dog, cat or other animal which is on such lot or land in violation
of this Article and whose presence on such lot or land constitutes
a violation of any of the provisions of this Article. The Health Commissioner,
his/her duly appointed representative or any other person who may
be designated by the Council shall have the right of entry to any
property or premises during the period of quarantine for the purpose
of examining or obtaining any dog, cat or other animal suspected of
having rabies, having been exposed to rabies or having bitten a person
or other animal. The use of humane traps by such persons for the capture
of any dog, cat or other animal is hereby authorized.
[R.O. 2005 §5-55; CC 1997 §5-55]
No person shall refuse to deliver up to the Health Commissioner
or any person designated by the Council a dog or cat or other animal
subject to rabies, which such person owns, when requested to do so
under the provisions of this Article.
[R.O. 2005 §5-56; CC 1997 §5-56]
A. It
shall be the duty of any person bitten by an animal or the parent
or guardian of any minor bitten by an animal to report the same to
the County Department of Health and the City Police immediately. Such
report shall contain the name and address of the owner and of the
animal, the day and time bitten, location where bitten and a general
description of the animal.
B. The
owner of any dog, cat or other animal which bites any person, regardless
of the circumstances or irrespective of whether such dog or cat is
vaccinated and licensed, shall be required to place such dog, cat
or other animal in the custody of the County Health Department or
the City Police for confinement in a manner satisfactory to the County
Health Commissioner or Chief of Police in a manner that will prevent
contact with people and other animals for a period of ten (10) days
following the evening of the day of the bite for the purpose of clinical
observation. All expenses shall be borne by the owner of the dog,
cat or other animal. If such dog, cat or other animal develops clinical
symptoms suggestive of rabies, it shall be allowed to die a natural
death. If, for any reason, such dog, cat or other animal should die
while in confinement, its head shall be removed by a veterinarian
and submitted to a qualified laboratory. If, at the end of such ten
(10) day period of observation, such dog, cat or other domestic animal
is alive and healthy, it may be released to its owner.
C. If, at the time of the biting, the dog, cat or other animal had not been vaccinated and licensed, the procedure outlined in Section
205.090 shall be followed and all other conditions of this Article shall be fulfilled prior to the release of all dogs or cats under clinical observation as the result of biting a person.
[R.O. 2005 §5-57; CC 1997 §5-57]
It shall be the duty of every physician to report immediately
to the County Department of Health and the City Police the full name,
age and address of any person under his/her care or observation who
has been bitten by an animal irrespective of whether infected with
rabies or suspected of being infected with rabies or not. Every veterinarian
treating or having under observation any animal infected with rabies
shall report to the County Health Department and the City Police the
owner's name and address and, if the animal is a dog or cat, the County
vaccination registration number and the City license tag number.