[Ord. No. 1032 Art. III §1, 10-21-1991; Ord. No. 1735 §1, 3-19-2012; Ord. No. 2005, 7-6-2021]
A. 
It shall be unlawful for a person to own, harbor, keep or maintain any dog, cat or ferret over six (6) months of age within the City limits unless such animal has been immunized against rabies for either a one-year period, two-year period or three-year period by a licensed veterinarian.
B. 
It shall be unlawful for an owner, keeper, harborer or maintainer to refuse to exhibit a certificate of rabies vaccination upon request of any humane officer.
[Ord. No. 1032 Art. III §2, 10-21-1991; Ord. No. 2005, 7-6-2021]
During a rabies quarantine period and as long afterward as he/she decides it is necessary to prevent the spread of rabies, the Health Officer may require all animals three (3) months of age and older be vaccinated against rabies with a rabies vaccine approved by the biologics control section of the Federal Department of Agriculture. The types of approved anti-rabies vaccine to be used and the recognized duration of immunity for each shall be established by the Health Officer. All vaccinated animals shall be restricted (leashing or confinement on enclosed premises) for thirty (30) days' observation. During the quarantine period, the Health Officer shall be empowered to provide for a program of mass immunization by the establishment of temporary emergency rabies vaccination clinics strategically located throughout the City.
[Ord. No. 1032 Art. III §3, 10-21-1991; Ord. No. 2005, 7-6-2021]
A. 
Every animal that bites or scratches a person or shows evidence of having rabies shall be promptly reported to the Supervisor of Animal Control or other humane officer and shall thereupon be securely quarantined at the direction of the Supervisor of Animal Control. Dogs, cats and ferrets shall be quarantined for a period of ten (10) days and shall not be released from such quarantine except by written permission of the Supervisor of Animal Control. At the discretion of the Supervisor of Animal Control, such quarantine shall be within the City limits and may be on the premises of the owner, at the animal shelter or, at the owner's option and expense, in a veterinary hospital of his/her choice. In the case of stray animals or in the case of animals whose ownership is not known, such quarantine shall be at the animal shelter.
B. 
The owner, upon demand by the Supervisor of Animal Control or other humane officer, shall forthwith surrender any animal that has bitten a human or which is suspected of having been exposed to rabies for supervised quarantine, the expense of which shall be borne by the owner. Such animal may be reclaimed by the owner, if it is adjudged free of rabies, upon payment of the impounding and boarding fees set forth in this Chapter and upon compliance of the licensing provisions as so set forth. No animal that has been impounded by reasons of its being a stray or unclaimed by its owner may be allowed to be adopted from the animal shelter during the period of a rabies emergency quarantine, except by special permission of the City Health Officer and the Supervisor of Animal Control.
C. 
When rabies has been diagnosed in an animal under quarantine or rabies is suspected by a licensed veterinarian and the animal dies while under such observation, or the animal arrives at the shelter in so sick or injured a condition that in the judgment of the Supervisor of Animal Control or a licensed veterinarian human compassion requires that the suffering be promptly ended the Supervisor of Animal Control shall immediately send the head of such animal to the State Department of Health for pathological examination and shall notify the Health Officer of reports of human contacts and the diagnosis.
D. 
When one (1) or both reports indicate a positive diagnosis of rabies, the Supervisor of Animal Control shall recommend an area-wide quarantine for a period of sixty (60) days and upon the invoking of such emergency quarantine by the Health Officer, no pet or animal shall be taken into the streets or permitted to be in the streets during such a period of quarantine. During such quarantine, no animal may be taken or shipped from the City without written permission of the Supervisor of Animal Control.
E. 
If there are additional positive cases of rabies occurring during the period of a quarantine, such period of quarantine may be extended for an additional six (6) months.
[Ord. No. 1032 Art. III §4, 10-21-1991]
It shall be the duty of every licensed veterinarian to report to the Supervisor of Animal Control any animal considered by him/her to be a rabies suspect.
[Ord. No. 1032 Art. III §5, 10-21-1991]
A. 
No person shall kill or cause to be killed, any rabid animal, any animal suspected of having been exposed to rabies or any animal biting a human, except as provided in this Article, nor remove such animal from the City limits without written permission from the Supervisor of Animal Control.
B. 
The carcass of any dead animal exposed to rabies shall, upon demand, be surrendered to the Supervisor of Animal Control.
C. 
The Supervisor of Animal Control shall direct the disposition of any animal found to be infected with rabies.
[Ord. No. 1032 Art. III §6, 10-21-1991; Ord. No. 2005, 7-6-2021]
Animals bitten by a known rabid animal shall be immediately destroyed. If the owner is unwilling to destroy an exposed dog or cat, or ferret strict isolation of the dog, cat or ferret in a kennel for six (6) months shall be enforced. A rabies vaccine is required to be administered at the time of entry into quarantine. Strict isolation in this context refers to confinement in an enclosure that precludes direct contact with people and other animals. If verification that the dog, cat or ferret has been previously vaccinated within the time limits established by the public health service based on the kind of vaccine used, revaccination and restraint (leashing and confinement) for forty five (45) days shall be carried out.