The city hereby adopts by reference the Texas State Rabies Control
Act, as amended, and the standards established by the appropriate
state agency or rulemaking board as minimum standards for rabies control
and quarantine provisions within the city. In addition thereto, all
of the rabies control provisions of this chapter, which are adopted
pursuant to the Texas Health and Safety Code, shall have application
in the city.
(1983 Code, sec. 4-17; Ordinance
2006-O0025, sec. 1, adopted 3/8/2006; Ordinance 2013-O0008, sec. 1, adopted 2/14/2013)
(a)
It
shall be the duty of every physician or other practitioner to report
to the animal services department the names and addresses of persons
treated for bites inflicted by a mammal, together with such other
information as will be helpful in rabies control.
(b)
It
shall be the duty of every person owning or having custody of a mammal,
which has bitten a human being, to report the same to the animal services
department.
(1983 Code, sec. 4-18; Ordinance
2006-O0025, sec. 1, adopted 3/8/2006; Ordinance 2013-O0008, sec. 1, adopted 2/14/2013)
(a)
A
person commits an offense if the person fails or refuses to quarantine
or present for quarantine or testing an animal that is suspected of
being involved in a bite. All suspected bit animals must be quarantined
in a manner and location approved by the director of animal services.
A person may be issued a citation for noncompliance or violating this
provision each day such violation is committed or permitted to continue
shall constitute a separate offense and shall be punishable as such
hereunder. The director of animal services shall be authorized to
obtain a search and seizure warrant if there is reason to believe
any requirement of this section is violated.
(b)
Should
a potential outbreak of rabies within the city be suspected and the
danger to the public safety from rabid animals be reasonably imminent,
the director of animal services is hereby authorized to issue a quarantine
proclamation, ordering persons owning, keeping, or harboring dogs,
cats or other mammals to muzzle the same or confine them for such
time as may be specified in such quarantine proclamation. Upon the
publication of such proclamation by local newspapers, persons owning
or harboring such animals shall confine them to premises unless they
are effectively muzzled and under the control of an adult person by
leash, cord, chain, or rope. Animals found at large in violation of
this subsection may be destroyed by an officer of the city if such
officer is unable with reasonable effort to apprehend such animals
for impoundment.
(1983 Code, sec. 4-19; Ordinance
2006-O0025, sec. 1, adopted 3/8/2006; Ordinance 2013-O0008, sec. 1, adopted 2/14/2013)
(a)
It
is a violation of this chapter if any person owning, keeping, harboring
or having custody of a dog or cat over the age of four (4) months
within the city does not register such animal as provided herein.
Police dogs or assistance animals shall be exempt from the registration
and identification tag fee; however, they must be in compliance with
all other provisions of this chapter. This section does not apply
to animals temporarily within the city for a period not to exceed
fourteen (14) days.
(b)
The
director of animal services is hereby authorized to appoint issuing
agents as his deputies for the limited purpose of issuing pet animal
registration and identification tags. Identification tags shall be
on tags furnished by the director of animal services and shall be
issued subject to the provisions of this chapter and any other rules,
regulations or ordinances relating to the issuance of such tags.
(c)
An
issuing agent may not issue an animal registration and identification
tag [for a dog or cat] that is not currently vaccinated against rabies.
(d)
Each
issuing agent shall record and maintain access to the unique registration
and identification tag number issued. The issuing agent shall remit
all registration and identification tag fees collected at least once
monthly.
(e)
All
dogs and cats four (4) months of age or older must wear traceable
identification.
(f)
Any
owner who fails to obtain a current city animal registration shall
be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor.
(g)
No
person may use a city registration and identification tag or rabies
certificate on an animal other than for which it was issued.
(h)
Registration
and identification tags must be renewed annually. No refunds shall
be made on any city registration and identification tag fee. A duplicate
registration and identification tag may be obtained upon payment of
the fee established by this chapter.
(i)
Rabies
vaccination certificates will be valid for either one (1) year or
three (3) years from the date of vaccination as determined by the
type of vaccine administered by the veterinarian.
(1983 Code, sec. 4-20; Ordinance
2006-O0025, sec. 1, adopted 3/8/2006; Ordinance 2013-O0008, sec. 1, adopted 2/14/2013)
The city shall comply with all state laws regarding the confidentiality
of information in the dog and cat registry.
(1983 Code, sec. 4-21; Ordinance
2006-O0025, sec. 1, adopted 3/8/2006; Ordinance 2013-O0008, sec. 1, adopted 2/14/2013)
The city enforcement agent may sponsor rabies vaccination clinics.
In response to a rabies outbreak or some other public health threat,
the director of animal services or city manager or his designee may
authorize rabies vaccination clinics in the interest of protecting
public health. Rabies clinics shall be offered only if all veterinarians
in the city are notified and given an opportunity to participate.
In the event that no veterinarian desires to participate in a clinic
in an area of the city where the director of animal services deems
it to be in the public interest to conduct such a clinic, then the
city may sponsor such a clinic.
(1983 Code, sec. 4-22; Ordinance
2006-O0025, sec. 1, adopted 3/8/2006; Ordinance 2013-O0008, sec. 1, adopted 2/14/2013)
