(a)
Vaccination of animals capable of transmitting rabies required.
(1)
Every owner and/or custodian of a domestic dog, domestic cat, and/or
all animals capable of transmitting rabies shall:
(2)
The rabies vaccine must be approved by the USDA and administered
by a licensed veterinarian, who shall issue to the owner of the animal
a vaccination certificate in accordance with this chapter. The owner
shall retain such certificate of the vaccination until the date of
its expiration.
(3)
Every person who is an owner and/or custodian of a domestic dog,
domestic cat, or any other animal capable of transmitting rabies and
who is relocating to a residence in the corporate limits of the city–or
within 5,000 feet of the city’s corporate limits– from
a location outside of the city shall be in compliance with this chapter
no later than 30 days after having moved into the city. If the relocated
animal–other than a low risk animal–inflicted a bite and/or
scratch on any person or another animal within the last 10 days before
the animal has been relocated, the owner and/or custodian of said
animal shall report the bite and/or scratch incident to animal control
and arrange for a 240-hour observation period. No rabies vaccine shall
be administered before or during the 240-hour observation period.
(b)
Certificate of vaccination.
(1)
Upon vaccination with an approved rabies vaccine, a licensed veterinarian
shall execute and furnish to the owner of the animal, as evidence
thereof, a certificate upon a form furnished by the licensed veterinarian.
The licensed veterinarian shall retain a duplicate copy. Such certificate
shall contain at least the following information:
(A)
The current name, address and telephone number of the owner of the
vaccinated animal;
(B)
The date of vaccination;
(C)
The date vaccination expires (re-vaccination due date);
(D)
The type of rabies vaccine used, expiration date of the serum, and
serial number;
(E)
The year and number of the rabies tag to be worn by the vaccinated
animal at all times;
(F)
The breed, age, color, and sex of the vaccinated animal; and
(G)
The licensed veterinarian’s signature and license number or
signature stamp and license number.
(c)
Confidentiality of certain information in rabies vaccination certificate.
(1)
Confidential information.
Information contained in a
rabies vaccination certificate or in any record compiled from the
information contained in one or more certificates that identifies
or tends to identify an owner or an address, telephone number, or
other personally identifying information of an owner of a vaccinated
animal is confidential and not subject to disclosure under chapter
552, Texas Government Code.
(2)
Disclosure.
Said information may be disclosed only to
a governmental entity for purposes related to the protection of public
health and safety. A governmental entity that receives the information
must maintain the confidentiality of the information, may not disclose
the information under chapter 552, Texas Government Code, and may
not use the information for a purpose that does not directly relate
to the protection of public health and safety.
(d)
Rabies tags.
Concurrent with the issuance and delivery
of the certificate of rabies vaccination referred to, the owner of
the animal shall cause to be attached to the collar or harness of
the vaccinated animal, a metal tag that is serially numbered to correspond
with the vaccination certificate number, and bearing the year of issuance
and the name of the issuing licensed veterinarian or licensed veterinarian’s
clinic and his/her telephone number. The owner shall cause the collar
or harness with the attached rabies vaccination metal tag to be worn
by the animal at all times. Rabies vaccination certificates and tags
shall be valid only as to the animal for which they were originally
issued.
(e)
Duplicate rabies tags.
In the event of loss or destruction
of the original rabies tag provided, the owner of the animal shall
obtain a duplicate rabies tag from the licensed veterinarian who originally
vaccinated the animal. Duplicate rabies vaccination certificates and
tags shall be valid only as to the animal for which they were originally
issued.
(f)
Proof of vaccination.
It shall be unlawful for any person
who owns or harbors a vaccinated animal to fail or refuse to exhibit
his/her copy of the certificate of vaccination upon demand to any
person charged with the enforcement of this chapter.
(g)
Penalty.
(1)
It shall be unlawful for any person to own or harbor any animal that
has not been vaccinated against rabies, as provided herein, or that
cannot be identified as having a current rabies vaccination certificate.
(2)
An offense under this section is a class C misdemeanor.
(3)
If on the trial of an offense under this section the court finds
that the person has been previously convicted of an offense under
this section, the offense is a class B misdemeanor.
(Ordinance 369-2008 adopted 3/11/08; 2008 Code, pt. II, art. 4, sec.
1.02(a)–(g))
(a)
Restrictions.
(1)
Rabies vaccine for animals may be administered only by or under the
direct supervision of a licensed veterinarian.
(2)
A person may not sell or distribute rabies vaccine for animals to
any person except a licensed veterinarian or to a person working in
a veterinary clinic who accepts the vaccine on behalf of the licensed
veterinarian.
(3)
This chapter does not prohibit a pharmacy licensed by the state board
of veterinary medical examiners from selling or dispensing rabies
vaccine to an individual with whom the licensed veterinarian has a
licensed veterinarian-client-patient relationship as described by
chapter 801, Occupations Code, for the sole purpose of vaccinating
that individual’s own livestock.
(Ordinance 369-2008 adopted 3/11/08; 2008 Code, pt. II, art. 4, sec.
1.02(h), (i))
Any person having knowledge of the existence of any domestic
animal known to have been, or suspected of being, exposed to rabies
must immediately report such knowledge to animal control, and the
LRCA or his/her designee, and provide any additional information that
may be required. For any animal known to have been, or suspected of
being, exposed to rabies, the following rules apply:
(1)
Domestic
animals that have a current rabies vaccination should be humanely
euthanized or re-vaccinated immediately after exposure and placed
in strict isolation, at the owner’s expense, in a secure enclosure
for observation according to the method prescribed by the LRCA for
a period of not less than 45 days unless the suspected rabies-carrying
animal is available for testing, is tested and the test has returned
a negative result for rabies.
(2)
Domestic
animals that do not have a current rabies vaccination should be humanely
euthanized. However, if the owner of such an animal elects, he/she
may, at his/her expense and in a manner prescribed by the LRCA, quarantine
said animal in a secure enclosure and make the suspected rabies-carrying
animal available for immediate testing. If such animal is tested and
the test has returned a negative result for rabies then such an animal
must be:
(A)
Vaccinated immediately after test results are received;
(B)
Placed in strict isolation for not less than 90 days in a secure
enclosure; and
(C)
Given booster vaccinations during the third and eighth weeks while
in isolation during the observation period. (For young animals, additional
vaccinations may be necessary to ensure the young animal receives
at least two vaccinations at or after the age prescribed by the USDA
for the vaccine administered.)
(3)
This
section only applies to domestic animals for which an approved rabies
vaccine is available.
(4)
If
a licensed veterinarian determines that a quarantined animal shows
the clinical signs of rabies, the licensed veterinarian or animal
control authority shall humanely euthanize the animal. If an animal
dies or is euthanized while in quarantine, the veterinarian or animal
control authority shall remove the head of the animal and submit it
to the nearest department laboratory for testing.
(Ordinance 369-2008 adopted 3/11/08; 2008 Code, pt. II, art. 4, sec.
1.02(j))
(a)
Reporting requirements.
Any person having knowledge
of an animal bite/scratch to a human being must report the incident
to animal control, the LRCA, and the LHA as soon as possible, but
not later than 24 hours from the time of the incident. This reporting
requirement does not apply to bites/scratches inflicted by low risk
animals.
(b)
Quarantine.
The owner of the biting/scratching animal
may not vaccinate that animal and will place that animal in a 240-hour
quarantine in a primary enclosure or secure enclosure for observation
commencing on the day of the biting/scratching incident and under
the supervision of animal control and the LRCA, or his/her designee,
at the owner’s expense.
(c)
Investigation.
Animal control and the LRCA, or his/her
designee, will investigate each bite incident. All bites or scratches
from low risk animals may be investigated at the discretion of the
LRCA, the department or other state or federal animal regulatory authorities.
(d)
Exclusions.
(1)
Bites/scratches to human beings from rodents, moles, shrews, opossums,
armadillos, rabbits, birds, and all cold-blooded animals are excluded
from the reporting requirements of this section.
(2)
Police dogs are exempt from the requirements of this section, unless
determined otherwise by a licensed veterinarian or his/her designee,
or the LRCA; police dogs may be subject to home quarantine.
(Ordinance 369-2008 adopted 3/11/08; 2008 Code, pt. II, art. 4, sec.
1.03)
