(a) 
Every owner and/or custodian of a domestic dog, domestic cat, and/or all animals capable of transmitting rabies shall:
(1) 
Have the animal(s) vaccinated against rabies by the time the animal(s) is four months of age;
(2) 
Have a booster administered within 12 months following the initial vaccination; and
(3) 
Have a booster administered once every 36 months thereafter or as prescribed by the department.
(b) 
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 section. The owner shall retain such certificate of the vaccination until the date of its expiration.
(c) 
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 division 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 ten 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.
(Ordinance 401-08, sec. 2.01, adopted 7/15/08)
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:
(1) 
The current name, address and telephone number of the owner of the vaccinated animal;
(2) 
The date of vaccination;
(3) 
The date vaccination expires (revaccination due date);
(4) 
The type of rabies vaccine used, expiration date of the serum, and serial number;
(5) 
The year and number of the rabies tag to be worn by the vaccinated animal at all times;
(6) 
The breed, age, color, and sex of the vaccinated animal; and
(7) 
The licensed veterinarian’s signature and license number or signature stamp and license number.
(Ordinance 401-08, sec. 2.02, adopted 7/15/08)
(a) 
Generally.
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.
(b) 
Disclosure to governmental agency.
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.
(c) 
Penalty.
A person commits an offense if the person distributes confidential information. The offense is a misdemeanor punishable by:
(1) 
A fine of not more than $1,000.00;
(2) 
Confinement in the county jail for not more than 180 days; or
(3) 
Both the fine and confinement.
(Ordinance 401-08, sec. 2.03, adopted 7/15/08)
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.
(Ordinance 401-08, sec. 2.04, adopted 7/15/08)
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.
(Ordinance 401-08, sec. 2.05, adopted 7/15/08)
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.
(Ordinance 401-08, sec. 2.06, adopted 7/15/08)
(a) 
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.
(b) 
An offense under this section is a class C misdemeanor.
(c) 
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 401-08, sec. 2.07, adopted 7/15/08)
(a) 
Rabies vaccine for animals may be administered only by or under the direct supervision of a licensed veterinarian.
(b) 
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.
(c) 
This section 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 401-08, sec. 2.08, adopted 7/15/08)
(a) 
A person commits an offense if the person:
(1) 
Administers or attempts to administer rabies vaccine in a manner not authorized by this chapter;
(2) 
Dispenses or attempts to dispense rabies vaccine in a manner not authorized by this chapter; or
(3) 
Sells or distributes rabies vaccine for animals in violation of this chapter.
(b) 
An offense under this section is a class C misdemeanor.
(Ordinance 401-08, sec. 2.09, adopted 7/15/08)
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 revaccinated 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 401-08, sec. 2.10, adopted 7/15/08)
Any person having knowledge of an animal bite/scratch to a human being must report the incident to animal control, the LRCA, and 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.
(Ordinance 401-08, sec. 3.01, adopted 7/15/08)
The owner of the biting/scratching animal may not vaccinate that animal and will place the 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.
(Ordinance 401-08, sec. 3.02, adopted 7/15/08)
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.
(Ordinance 401-08, sec. 3.03, adopted 7/15/08)
(a) 
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 chapter.
(b) 
Police dogs are exempt from the requirements of this chapter, unless determined otherwise by a licensed veterinarian or his/her designee, or the LRCA; police dogs may be subject to home quarantine.
(Ordinance 401-08, sec. 3.04, adopted 7/15/08)