A.Â
Whenever, in the judgment of the Health Officer serving
this County, a rabies emergency exists in the County or in any area
thereof, the Health Officer shall issue a proclamation declaring such
emergency to exist throughout all or a defined area of the County;
and such proclamation shall require that all dogs within the County
or such defined area of the County be confined to the premises of
their owners or custodians or, if held on leash by responsible persons,
that they be securely muzzled, and it shall be unlawful for any person
to violate any provisions of such proclamation while it is in force.
B.Â
Each proclamation issued pursuant to this section
shall be published as soon as possible in a newspaper of general circulation
within the County, and copies thereof shall be provided to radio and
television stations within the County. The original proclamation shall
be filed in the office of the Health Officer.
C.Â
When, in the judgment of the Health Officer serving
this County, a proclaimed emergency ceases to exist, the Health Officer
shall so proclaim, and the foregoing provisions of this section shall
apply to publication, release to radio and television stations and
filing.
[Added 6-2-1981; 6-18-1990; 8-17-2010; 10-18-2011]
A.Â
The owner or custodian of any dog four months old or older shall have such dog inoculated or vaccinated against rabies by a currently licensed veterinarian, and such dog owner or custodian shall furnish, upon request of the Animal Control Officer, evidence satisfactory to said Animal Control Officer as defined in § 66-20B of the Warren County Code showing that such dog has been so inoculated or vaccinated against rabies. Any dog owner or custodian who shall fail to present such evidence as aforesaid to the Animal Control Officer upon request shall, upon conviction, be fined not more than $100.
B.Â
If, after conviction hereunder, said dog owner or custodian shall fail within 10 days from the date of said conviction to pay the fine imposed upon him by the court for said conviction and shall fail to have said dog inoculated or vaccinated against rabies as aforesaid, the Animal Control Officer may capture and take in charge said dog and hold such dog for a period of five days, during which time the owner or custodian of such dog may recover such dog by paying the fine and court costs as aforesaid and by producing evidence satisfactory to the Animal Control Officer as defined in § 66-20B that such dog has been inoculated or vaccinated against rabies by a currently licensed veterinarian. If after five days said fine and court costs have not been paid and satisfactory evidence of inoculation or vaccination as aforesaid has not been presented to the Animal Control Officer, the Animal Control Officer shall have such dog euthanized, provided that the Animal Control Officer may deliver such dog to any person in the County who will pay said fine and produce satisfactory evidence of such inoculation or vaccination. Should the legal owner thereafter claim the dog and prove his ownership, he may recover such dog by paying to the person to whom the dog was delivered by the Animal Control Officer the amount of the fine and court costs paid by him, together with the costs of obtaining the inoculation or vaccination and a reasonable charge for the keeping of the dog while in his possession. Any person, Animal Control Officer or other law enforcement officer killing a dog under this section shall bury or cremate the same.
