[HISTORY: Adopted by the Cayuga County Legislature as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 4-24-2001 by L.L. No. 4-2001]
Rabies is a viral disease that is fatal in humans unless an exposed person undergoes expensive treatment, and most exposure of humans to rabies is caused by bites of domestic animals. At the present time there is no state requirement to immunize ferrets, which are becoming more common as pets, and some dog and cat owners refuse to comply with the state law requiring immunization against rabies, and the Cayuga County Board of Health has experienced significant difficulty in enforcing the immunization requirement because of the weakness of state law on this point. Therefore, this County Legislature hereby determines that it is necessary to strengthen the immunization requirement.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
Unless a dog, cat or ferret owner qualifies under one of the exceptions set forth in § 125-3 of this article set forth hereafter, any dog, cat or ferret owner who is a resident of Cayuga County who willfully fails or refuses to submit a dog, cat or ferret four months of age or over immediately for vaccination against rabies upon request by a dog control officer, a peace officer, police officer or health officer shall be guilty of a violation and shall be subject to a maximum fine of not more than $250. In the case of a second or subsequent violation within a three-year period, in addition to the $250 fine for each violation, the defendant may be given up to 15 days in jail.
This article shall not apply to:
A. 
A confined animal owned by a nonresident while passing through the County.
B. 
An animal brought into the County for a period not exceeding 10 days, if entered in a bona fide show and if confined and in the immediate charge of the exhibitor.
C. 
An animal actually confined to the premises of an incorporated society devoted to the care or hospital treatment of lost, strayed or homeless animals or confined to the premises of a hospital devoted to the treatment of sick animals or confined for the purpose of research to the premises of an educational or research institution.
D. 
An animal actually confined to the premises of a person, firm or corporation actually engaged in the business of breeding or raising animals for profit and licensed as a Class A dealer under the Federal Laboratory Animal Welfare Act.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See 7 U.S.C. § 2131 et seq.
E. 
Animals for which the owner provides a statement certified by a licensed veterinarian stating that because of old age or another reason the life of the animal would be endangered by the administration of vaccine.
[Added at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]