Every owner of a dog or cat sixteen (16) weeks of age or older
shall have such animal vaccinated against rabies. All dogs or cats
vaccinated at sixteen (16) weeks of age or older shall maintain a
current vaccination at all times, and in no case shall a vaccination
be considered current any time after three years. Any person moving
from a location outside of the town shall comply with this section
within 30 days after having moved into the town. If the dog or cat
has inflicted a bite on any person or another animal, the owner of
said dog or cat shall immediately report such fact to a veterinarian
and the public works director, or his or her designee. No rabies vaccine
shall be administered until after the ten-day observation period.
(1998 Code, sec. 91.20; Ordinance
adopting Code)
(a)
Upon
vaccination, the veterinarian or the local health authority providing
such service shall execute and furnish to the owner of the dog or
cat, as evidence thereof, a certificate upon a form furnished by the
veterinarian or local health authority. The veterinarian or local
health authority shall retain a duplicate copy.
(b)
Such
certificate shall contain the following information:
(1998 Code, sec. 91.21)
(a)
Concurrent with the issuance and delivery of the certificate of vaccination referred to in section 2.02.002, 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 party 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.
(b)
In
the event of loss or destruction of the original tag provided for
in this section, the owner of the dog or cat shall obtain a duplicate
tag. Vaccination certificates (and tags) shall be valid only for the
animal for which they were originally issued.
(1998 Code, sec. 91.22)
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.
(1998 Code, sec. 91.23)
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.
(1998 Code, sec. 91.24)
(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
such 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; and
(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 local health authority, confine
said animal. Such 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.
(1998 Code, sec. 91.25)
The following procedures shall apply to reporting cases of humans
bitten by animals susceptible to rabies:
(1)
Any
person having knowledge of an animal bite to a human will report the
incident to the town secretary or local health authority as soon as
possible, but not later than 24 hours from the time of the incident.
(2)
The
owner of the biting animal will place that animal in quarantine under
the supervision of the local health authority as prescribed in division
2 of this article.
(3)
Utilizing
standardized reporting forms provided by the department of state health
services, the local health authority will investigate each bite incident.
(4)
Bites
to a human from rodents, rabbits, birds, and all cold-blooded animals
are excluded from the reporting requirements of this section.
(1998 Code, sec. 91.26)
(a)
When
a dog, cat, or domestic ferret that has bitten a human is identified,
the owner is required to produce the dog, cat, or domestic ferret
for ten days’ confinement at the owner’s expense. Refusal
to produce said dog, cat, or domestic ferret constitutes a violation
of this division, and each day of such refusal constitutes a separate
and individual violation. The animal must also be quarantined if there
is probable cause to believe that it has otherwise exposed a human
to rabies. The ten-day observation period will begin the day of the
exposure. The animal must be placed in quarantine facility, licensed
by the department of state health services, that is specified by the
local rabies control authority and observed at least twice daily.
However, the local rabies control authority may allow the animal to
be quarantined in a veterinary clinic.
(b)
The
owner of the animal may request permission from the local rabies control
authority for home quarantine if the following criteria can be met:
(1)
Secure facilities approved by the local rabies control authority
must be used to prevent escape.
(2)
The animal is currently vaccinated against rabies.
(3)
The local rabies control authority or a 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 a stray as defined in the Texas Health and Safety
Code, section 826.002, at the time of the potential exposure.
(c)
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.
(1998 Code, sec. 91.35; Ordinance
adopting Code)
It shall be unlawful for any person to interrupt the ten-day
observation period.
(1998 Code, sec. 91.36)
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.
(1998 Code, sec. 91.37)
