(a) Vaccination required.
Every owner of a domestic dog
or cat shall have the dog or cat vaccinated against rabies by the
time the animal is four months of age. The animal must receive a booster
within the 12-month interval following the initial vaccination and
must be revaccinated against rabies at a minimum of at least once
every three years with a rabies vaccine licensed by the United States
Department of Agriculture. Any person moving into the city from a
location outside of the city shall comply with this section within
ten (10) days after having moved into the city. If the dog or cat
has inflicted a bite on any person or another animal within the last
ten (10) days, the owner of said dog or cat shall report such fact
to the veterinarian, and no rabies vaccine shall be administered until
after the ten-day observation period.
(b) Certificate of vaccination.
Upon vaccination, the veterinarian
shall execute and furnish to the owner of the dog or cat, as evidence
thereof, a certificate upon a form furnished by the veterinarian.
The veterinarian shall retain a duplicate copy of such certificate.
Such certificate shall contain the following information:
(1) The name, address, and telephone number of the owner of the vaccinated
dog or cat;
(2) The date of vaccination and the date the vaccination expires;
(3) The type of rabies vaccine used;
(4) The year and number of the rabies tag; and
(5) The breed, age, color and sex of the vaccinated dog or cat.
(c) Rabies tags.
Concurrent with the issuance and delivery of the certificate of vaccination referred to in subsection
(b) of this section, 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 address. The owner shall cause the collar or harness, with the attached metal tag, to be worn by his dog or cat at all times.
(d) Duplicate tags.
In the event of loss or destruction of the original tag provided for in subsection
(c) of this section, the owner of the dog shall obtain a duplicate tag. Vaccination certificates (and tags) shall be valid only for the animal for which they were originally issued.
(e) Proof of vaccination.
It shall be unlawful for any person
who owns or harbors a vaccinated dog or cat to fail or refuse to exhibit
his copy of the certificate of vaccination upon demand to any person
charged with the enforcement of this chapter.
(f) Harboring unvaccinated animal.
It shall be unlawful
for any person to harbor any dog or cat which has not been vaccinated
against rabies as provided herein, or which cannot be identified as
having a current vaccination certificate.
(g) Animals exposed to rabies.
Any person having knowledge
of the existence of any animal known to have been, or suspected of
being, exposed to rabies must immediately report such knowledge to
the city, giving any information which may be required. 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 city for not
less than 45 days at the owner’s expense.
(2) Animals not having a current vaccination should be humanely destroyed.
However, if the owner of such an animal elects, he may, at his expense
and in a manner prescribed by the city, confine said animal. Such
animal must be vaccinated immediately following exposure and quarantined
for not less than 90 days. Booster vaccinations shall be given during
the third and eighth weeks of isolation. The confinement of said animal
shall be in accordance with the quarantine procedures set forth in
this chapter and even more restrictive if warranted.
(Ordinance 198, sec. 2, adopted 2/11/03; Ordinance adopting 2007 Code)
(a) Any
person having knowledge of an animal bite to a human will report the
incident to the animal control officer as soon as possible, but not
later than twenty-four (24) hours from the time of the incident.
(b) The owner of the biting animal will place that animal in quarantine as prescribed in section
2.02.003 under the supervision of the animal control officer.
(c) The
local health authority will investigate each bite incident, utilizing
standardized reporting forms provided by the state department of health
services.
(d) Human
bites from rodents, rabbits, birds and reptiles are excluded from
the reporting requirements of this section.
(Ordinance adopting 2012 Code)
(a) When
a domestic dog or cat or domestic ferret which has bitten a human
has been identified, the owner will be required to produce the animal
for ten (10) days’ confinement at the owner’s expense.
If quarantine is indicated for other animals, the animal may be quarantined
or suitably confined for the 30-day observation period. Refusal to
produce said dog, cat or ferret constitutes a violation of this section,
and each day of such 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 city 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 city.
(2) The animal is currently vaccinated against rabies.
(3) The animal control officer of the city or a 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 city 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.
(b) 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.
(c) It
shall be unlawful for any person to interrupt the ten-day observation
period.
(d) No
wild animal will be placed in quarantine. All wild animals involved
in biting incidents will be humanely killed in such 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.
(Ordinance 198, sec. 4, adopted 2/11/03; Ordinance adopting 2007 Code)