(A) All animal bites must be reported immediately to the Carroll County Health Department or local law enforcement authority. The duty to make this report rests both with the owner of the animal and the person bitten, if a person was bitten, or the owner of any animal bitten by another animal, if an animal was bitten.
(B) The Carroll County Health Department, upon receiving a report of an animal bite or suspected rabies in an animal shall take such action as it deems necessary, including but not limited to the quarantine or destruction of the animal involved.
(C) The owner of any animal which has bitten a person or animal shall be responsible for any expenses which are necessary to carry out the quarantine, examination, treatment, or destruction of an animal pursuant to this section.
(D) The owner of a dog, cat, or ferret four months of age or older shall have the dog, cat, or ferret currently vaccinated against rabies and shall maintain a record of the vaccinations given the dog, cat, or ferret which shall constitute the only acceptable evidence of compliance with this division (D). In addition to any penalties for failure to comply with this provision, the owner of a dog, cat, or ferret who does not have an acceptable record showing that the dog, cat, or ferret has been vaccinated against rabies may be ordered by the Animal Control Officer to have the dog, cat, or ferret vaccinated against rabies, and the owner so ordered shall comply with the order within 72 hours. The Animal Care and Control Authority shall determine in its sole discretion the acceptability of a record of vaccination against rabies.
(E) Any person or agency that neglects or refuses to comply with an order of the Carroll County Health Department concerning the quarantine or destruction of an animal is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be punished as provided herein.
(F) The Animal Care and Control Authority has responsibility to make provisions for the removal of the head of any animal suspected of having rabies as required by the Carroll County Health Department.
(G) The Carroll County Health Department shall promulgate such rules and regulations and issue such orders as are necessary to carry out the provisions of this section, the violation of which shall be punished in accordance with this chapter.
(2004 Code, § 81-14) (Ord. 26, passed 1-21-1980; Ord. 26C, passed 7-29-1986; Ord. 02-23, passed 11-26-2002; Ord. 06-15, passed 11-28-2006) Penalty, see § 90.99