(A) Any warm-blooded animal capable of transmitting the rabies virus maintained or harbored at any time in the town shall be vaccinated against rabies with an approved vaccine either live or inactivated (killed virus).
(1) Live virus vaccine can only be sold to and administered by a licensed veterinarian. Veterinarians shall be required to keep a record of the type and/or brand of the rabies vaccine administered to each animal for a period of three years.
(2) Inactivated (killed virus) vaccine may be administered by persons who are not licensed veterinarians. The individual who administers the vaccine must keep a record for three years which includes: name and address of the owner of the animal, date of vaccination, brand name of vaccine used, lot serial number of vaccine used, person or firm from whom purchased, their address and date of purchase, expiration date of vaccine used, and the name, address, and telephone number (if any) of the individual administering the vaccine. (See Rabies Prevention Guidelines, OSDH, most recent edition.)
(3) A certification of rabies inoculation must accompany all applications for permits for keeping of animals; certification shall be made by veterinarians or by observation by a police officer or animal control officer.
(B) The identity and address of the owner of any animal that bites a person shall be promptly furnished to the animal control officer and County Health Department. The animal control officer shall securely quarantine such animal until reasonable determination has been made that the animal is not infected with rabies. At the discretion of the animal control officer, such quarantine may be on the premises of the owner, at a veterinary hospital of the owner’s choice (at the owner’s expense), or at the Municipal Pound. In case of animals whose ownership is unknown, such quarantine shall be at the Municipal Pound. Said animal may be reclaimed by the owner if adjudged free of rabies; such owner shall then pay any related charges for confinement. Quarantined animals shall be under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian for a period of ten days. (See Rabies Prevention Guidelines, OSDH, most recent edition.)
(C) When an animal under quarantine has been diagnosed as being rabid or is suspected of having rabies by a licensed veterinarian and dies while under such observation, the animal control officer, veterinarian, or other designated person shall immediately send the necessary part of such animal to the State Health Department for pathological examination and shall notify the proper health officer of any reports of human contact.
(D) When a report gives a positive diagnosis of rabies and the County Health Director feels that a rabies crisis may be imminent, the Health Department may recommend to the Town Board of Trustees a town-wide quarantine, upon the invoking of such quarantine by the Town Board of Trustees, no animal shall be taken into the streets or permitted to be in the streets except for short periods of exercise (under leash and control of a competent adult). During such quarantine, no animal may be taken or removed from the town without written permission of the animal control officer.
(E) During such period of rabies quarantine, every animal bitten by an animal adjudged to be rabid shall be destroyed forthwith or, at the owner’s expense and option, shall be treated for a rabies infection by a licensed veterinarian or shall be held under six-month quarantine by the owner in the same manner as a female in season. The period of quarantine may be extended from time to time.
(F) No person shall remove from the town any animal suspected of having been exposed to rabies or any animal which has bitten a human except as herein provided. The carcass of any dead animal exposed to rabies shall be surrendered to the animal control officer upon demand; the animal control officer shall direct disposition of said animal. No person shall refuse to surrender any animal for quarantine or destruction when such demand is lawfully made by the animal control officer.
(G) It shall be the duty of every person owning or harboring any dog or cat which is six months old or older within the corporate limits of the town to obtain a rabies vaccination certificate from a graduate licensed veterinarian or agent authorized by the Town Board showing the vaccination has been made, the date of vaccination, by whom the vaccination was given, and the date when such vaccination shall expire.
(H) Failure to abide by the municipal vaccination requirements within 15 days of establishing residency within the town shall be unlawful.
(Prior Code, § 3-10) Penalty, see § 90.99
Statutory reference:
Related provisions, see 63 O.S. § 1-508