Every owner of a dog or cat three months of age or older shall
have the animal vaccinated against rabies. All dogs or cats vaccinated
at three months of age or older shall be revaccinated at one year
of age and annually thereafter. Any person moving into the city from
a location outside of the city shall comply with this section within
30 days after having moved into the city. If the dog or cat has inflicted
a bite on any person or other animal within the last ten days, the
owner of rabid [said] dog or cat shall report the fact to the veterinarian
and do [no] rabies vaccine shall be administered until after the ten-day
observation period.
(2004 Code, sec. 95.55)
(a)
Concurrent with the issuance and delivery of the certificate of vaccination referred to in section 2.04.002, the owner of the dog or cat shall cause to be attached to the collar or harness of the vaccinated dog or cat a metal tag, serially numbered to correspond with the vaccination certificate number, and bearing the year of issuance and the name of the issuing veterinarian and his or her address.
(b)
The
owner shall cause the collar or harness, with the attached metal tag,
to be worn by his or her dog or cat at all times.
(2004 Code, sec. 95.57)
(a)
In the event of loss or destruction of the original tag provided in section 2.04.003, the owner of the dog or cat shall obtain a duplicate tag.
(b)
Vaccination
certificates and tags shall be valid only for the animal for which
it was originally issued.
(2004 Code, sec. 95.58)
It shall be unlawful for any person who owns or harbors a vaccinated
dog or cat to fail or refuse to exhibit his or her copy of the certificate
of vaccination upon demand to any person charged with the enforcement
of this chapter.
(2004 Code, sec. 95.59)
It shall be unlawful for any person to harbor any dog or cat
that has not been vaccinated against rabies, as provided herein, or
that cannot be identified as having a current vaccination certificate.
(2004 Code, sec. 95.60)
(a)
Any
person having knowledge of the existence of any animal known to have
been, or suspected of being, exposed to rabies must immediately report
the knowledge to the local health authority, giving any information
that may be required.
(b)
For
any animal known to have been, or suspected of being, exposed to rabies,
the following rules must apply:
(1)
Animals having a current vaccination must be revaccinated immediately
and confined according to the method prescribed by the local health
authority for a period of not less than 90 days.
(2)
Animals not having a current vaccination should be humanely destroyed.
However, if the owner of such an animal elects, he or she may, at
his or her expense and in a manner prescribed by the local health
authority, confine the animal. The animal must be vaccinated immediately
following exposure and quarantined for not less than six months. A
revaccination shall be done one month prior to release from quarantine.
(2004 Code, sec. 95.61)
(a)
Any
person having knowledge of an animal bite to a human will report the
incident to the police or local health authority as soon as possible,
but not later than 24 hours from the time of the incident.
(b)
The owner of the biting animal will place that animal in quarantine under the supervision of the local health authority, as prescribed in section 2.04.009.
(c)
Utilizing
standardized reporting forms provided by the department of state health
services, the local health authority will investigate each bite incident.
(d)
Human
bites from rodents, rabbits, birds and all cold-blooded animals are
excluded from the reporting requirements of this section.
(2004 Code, sec. 95.62)
(a)
When
a animal that has bitten a human is identified, the owner is required
to produce the animal for ten days’ confinement at the owner’s
expense. Refusal to produce the dog or cat or other animal constitutes
a violation of this section and each day of the refusal constitutes
a separate and individual violation. The ten-day observation period
will begin on the day of the bite incident. The animal must be placed
in the animal control facilities specified for this purpose, if available.
However, the owner of the animal may request permission from the local
health authority for home quarantine if the following criteria can
be met:
(1)
Secure facilities must be available at the home of the animal’s
owner and must be approved by the local health authority.
(2)
The animal is currently vaccinated against rabies.
(3)
The animal control officer, local health authority or licensed veterinarian
must observe the animal at least on the first and last days of the
quarantine period. If the animal becomes ill during the observation
period, the local health authority must be notified by the person
having possession of the animal. At the end of the observation period,
the release from quarantine must be accomplished in writing.
(4)
The animal was not in violation of any laws at the time of the bite.
(5)
If the biting animal cannot be maintained in secure quarantine, it
shall be humanely destroyed and the brain submitted to a department
of state health services certified laboratory for rabies diagnosis.
(b)
It
shall be unlawful for any person to interrupt the ten-day observation
period.
(c)
No
wild animal will be placed in quarantine. All wild animals involved
in biting incidents will be humanely killed in a manner that the brain
is not mutilated. The brain shall be submitted to a department of
state health services certified laboratory for rabies diagnosis.
(2004 Code, sec. 95.63)
