§ 90.35 ANIMAL BITES.
   (A)   When a person has been bitten by an animal suspected of or having rabies, it shall be the duty of such person, or his legal parent or guardian (if such person is a minor), and the owner or keeper, to notify the Department of Animal Control immediately and give their name and address; and the owner or keeper having such animal in his possession or under his control shall immediately secure and confine the animal for ten days at the expense of the owner in such a place as designated by the Department. It shall be the duty of every physician, after his first professional attendance upon a person bitten by any animal suspected of or having rabies, to report the incident to the Department of Animal Control, and shall include in the report the name, age, sex of victim, and precise location of bite wound. Report shall be conveyed not later than 24 hours from time of the incident.
   (B)   If the owner of, or a person who has in his possession or under his control, an animal suspected of or having rabies refuses to confine the animal as required by this chapter or G.S. § 130A-196, the Animal Control Department may order the seizure of the animal and its confinement for not less than ten days in such a place as the Department of Animal Control designates.
   (C)   Law enforcement agencies investigating animal bites shall report such bites immediately to the Department of Animal Control and give the names and addresses of person(s) bitten and owner of animal.
   (D)   In a case where the animal’s keeper or owner is not known, the suspected animal shall be kept for the supervised confinement period at the Ashe County Animal Shelter.
   (E)   Badly wounded, diseased, or suffering animals, which are suspected of having rabies, may be humanely destroyed and the head forwarded for examination, at the discretion of the Health Director or his or her designee.
   (F)   Wildlife bites.
      (1)   Any person bitten by a wild animal suspected of rabies shall report all information as required in § 90.35(A). The wild animal, if obtained, shall be released to the Animal Control Department for shipment to the North Carolina Division of Health Services for diagnosis.
      (2)   Any animal without a valid rabies vaccination bitten by a wild animal shall be treated as stated in § 90.36(B) in the event the wild animal cannot be contained or captured for rabies diagnosis.
(Ord. passed 9-20-95; Amend. Ord. passed 10-17-22)Penalty, see § 90.99