As used in this article, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
Dogs and other mammals susceptible to rabies.
Includes any person having a right of property in any animal
and any person who keeps or harbors an animal or has it in his or
her care or allows it to remain on or about any premises occupied
by him or her.
A graduate of a recognized school of veterinary medicine
licensed to practice in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
It shall be unlawful for the owner of any dog
to allow such dog to run at large upon the public streets of the municipality
or upon the property of others unless accompanied by the owner.
It shall be unlawful for the owner of any cat
to allow such cat to run at large upon the public streets of this
municipality or upon the property of others unless accompanied by
the owner.
A.
Six months after the effective date of this chapter,
it shall be unlawful for any person, firm, partnership, corporation
or other entity to own, possess, maintain, house or keep any dog or
cat over three months of age within the Borough of Columbia unless
such dog or cat has been vaccinated against rabies as herein required
or has been previously vaccinated against rabies and unless such dog
or cat, at all times, wears a collar with the tag attached thereto
indicating that such dog or cat has been vaccinated as herein required
or has been previously vaccinated.
B.
Within six months after the effective date of this
chapter, every owner of a dog or cat in the Borough which is over
three months of age shall have such dog or cat vaccinated against
rabies by or under the supervision of a veterinarian unless such dog
or cat has previously been so vaccinated.
C.
Within 10 days after any dog or cat in the Borough
becomes three months of age the owner of such dog or cat shall have
such dog or cat vaccinated against rabies by or under the supervision
of a veterinarian.
D.
Within 30 days after the arrival in the Borough of
any dog or cat over three months of age, the owner of such dog or
oat shall have such dog or cat vaccinated against rabies by or under
the supervision of a veterinarian, unless such dog or cat has been
previously so vaccinated.
E.
Dogs and cats shall be vaccinated with the three-year
rabies vaccine recognized by Rabies Prevention and Control in Domestic
Animals and Wildlife Act, Act of December 15, 1986, P.L. 1610, No.
181, 3 P.S. § 455.1 et seq., as amended from time to time.
Those animals vaccinated after one year of age shall be revaccinated
every three years after the initial vaccination. Those animals vaccinated
prior to one year of age shall be considered protected only for one
year and shall be revaccinated one year after the original vaccination
and shall be revaccinated every three years thereafter.
It shall be the duty of the owner of any animal
which has been bitten or injured by a rabid animal or which has been
bitten or injured by a skunk, fox, raccoon or bat that is unavailable
for testing to follow the following procedures set forth below:
A.
Dogs and cats that are currently vaccinated against
rabies shall be revaccinated immediately and shall be kept by the
owner for an observation period of 90 days from the date the bite
occurred at the home of the owner or at some other location acceptable
to the Board of Health and in such a manner as will prevent it from
escaping or running at large.
B.
Unvaccinated dogs and cats shall be destroyed immediately.
If the owner is unwilling to have this done, the unvaccinated animal
shall be placed in strict isolation at a veterinary hospital or other
location acceptable to the Board of Health for a period of six months.
The animal shall be vaccinated one month before being released. Any
other species of animal that is bitten by a high-risk animal shall
be destroyed immediately. The owner of the animal may file an appeal
to the Board of Health within 10 days of the bite or injury for the
purpose of holding a hearing. The animal shall be held in strict isolation
at a veterinary hospital pending a decision by the Board of Health
following such hearing.
C.
At the end of said observation period, the animal
shall be examined by a veterinarian employed by the owner and a written
report of the results of such examination shall be submitted to the
Board of Health by the owner within 24 hours. If the report reveals
no symptoms indicative of rabies, the animal may then be released
from confinement.
D.
If at any time during said observation period the
animal develops symptoms indicative of rabies, such fact shall be
communicated at once to the Board of Health, and the animal shall
immediately be removed to a veterinary hospital acceptable to the
Board.
E.
If at any time during said observation period the
animal should die, the owner shall immediately submit to the Board
of Health the head of the animal for examination.
A.
Persons bitten by animals. It shall be the duty of
any person who has knowledge that an animal has bitten or injured
any person in this municipality to immediately report the facts and
the whereabouts of such animal to the Board of Health, and it shall
be the duty of the owner of every such animal to immediately confine
it in such manner as will prevent it from escaping or running at large.
Upon receipt of such report, the Board of Health shall advise the
owner as to the procedure to be followed with respect to the further
confinement and examination of the animal.
B.
Animal bitten by an animal suspected of rabies. It
shall be the duty of any person who has knowledge that an animal in
this municipality has been bitten or otherwise injured by or been
exposed to or been in contact with an animal infected with or suspected
of being infected with rabies to immediately report the facts and
the whereabouts of such animal to the Board of Health.
C.
Animals infected with rabies. It shall be the duty
of any person who has knowledge that an animal in this municipality
is infected with or suspected of being infected with rabies to immediately
report the facts and whereabouts of such animal to the Board of Health.
Any animal suspected of being infected with rabies shall immediately
be removed to and be confined in a veterinary hospital acceptable
to the Board of Health, and such animal shall not be released therefrom
without permission of the Board of Health. Any animal infected with
rabies shall be disposed of in such manner as the Board of Health
may direct.
A.
It shall be the duty of the owner of any animal which
has bitten or injured any person in this municipality to follow the
procedures set forth hereinbelow.
(1)
The animal shall be confined by the owner, for an
observation period of 10 days from the date the bite occurred, at
the home of the owner or at some other location acceptable to the
Board of Health and in such manner as will prevent it from escaping
or running at large.
(2)
At the end of said ten-day observation period, the
animal shall be examined by a veterinarian employed by the owner,
and a written report of the results of such examination shall be submitted
to the Board of Health to the owner within 24 hours. If the report
reveals no symptoms indicative of rabies, the animal may then be released
from confinement.
(3)
If at any time during said ten-day observation period
the animal develops symptoms indicative of rabies, such fact shall
be communicated at once to the Board of Health and the animal shall
immediately be removed to a veterinary hospital acceptable to the
Board of Health.
(4)
If at any time during said ten-day observation period
the animal should die, the owner shall immediately submit to the Board
of Health the head of the animal for examination.
B.
If the records of the Board of Health disclose any
occurrence of rabies in this municipality or in adjacent municipalities
within 100 days prior to the receipt of the report of biting, it shall
be the duty of the owner of any unvaccinated animal which has bitten
or injured any person in this municipality to follow the procedures
set forth below:
(1)
The animal shall be removed to and confined by the
owner in a veterinary hospital acceptable to this Board of Health
for an observation period of 10 days from the date the bite occurred.
The owner or the hospital shall submit the receipt for the animal
to the Board of Health on the same date that it is placed in the hospital.
(2)
Immediately upon being placed in the hospital, the
animal shall be examined by a veterinarian employed by the owner.
A written report of the results of such examination shall be submitted
to the Board of Health by the owner within 24 hours.
(3)
If at any time during said ten-day observation period
the animal develops symptoms indicative of rabies, such fact shall
be communicated at once to the Board of Health by the veterinarian.
(4)
If at any time during said ten-day observation period
the animal should die, the veterinarian shall immediately submit to
the Board of Health the head of the animal for examination.
(5)
At the end of said ten-day observation period, the
animal shall again be examined by a veterinarian employed by the owner,
and a written report of the results of such examination shall be submitted
to the Board of Health by the owner within 24 hours. If this second
report reveals no symptoms indicative of rabies, the owner may obtain
from the Board of Health the hospital receipt for the animal, and
it may then be released from confinement after being vaccinated.
C.
If an owner fails to comply with the procedures set
forth hereinabove, the Health Officer or his designated agent, with
or without notice, is empowered to seize the animal and provide for
the observation, examination and testing of the animal. The owner
shall be charged a reasonable fee for such services, including the
cost of the procedure, and shall be required to make payment prior
to repossessing the animal. If the owner fails to make payment after
10 days' written notice, the Health Officer is empowered to deliver
the animal to the custody of the humane league.
