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(A) When a person has been bitten by an animal, it shall be the duty of the person, or his or her parent, guardian, or person standing in loco parentis of the person if the person is a minor, and the person owning the animal or having the same in his or her possession or under his or her control, to notify the Health Director or person duly authorized by the Health Director immediately and give his or her name, address, and phone number, age and sex of the person bitten, and the owner or person having the animal in his or her possession or under his or her control shall immediately securely confine the animal for ten days at the expense of the owner in the place as may be designated by the Health Director. It shall be the duty of every physician, after his or her first professional attendance upon a person bitten by any animal having rabies or suspected of having rabies, to report to the Health Director the name, age, and sex of the person bitten, and precise location of the bite wound, within 24 hours after first having knowledge that the person was bitten. If the owner of, or a person who has in his or her possession or under his or her control, an animal having rabies or suspected of having rabies refuses to confine the animal as required by this chapter or by G.S. §§ 130A-196 and 130A-198, the Health Director may order seizure of the animal and its confinement for ten days in the place the Health Director designates.
(B) Law enforcement agencies investigating animal bites shall report the bites immediately to the Health Director, or his or her designee, and give the names and addresses of persons bitten and owner of animal.
(C) Animals confined pursuant to division (A) of this section shall not be released from confinement except after a visual inspection of the animal by an animal control officer following a ten-day period of confinement, or by permission from the Health Director, or his or her designee.
(D) Animals confined pursuant to division (A) of this section shall be confined at the expense of the owner or keeper.
(E) In the case of an animal whose owner or keeper is not known or cannot be identified, the animal shall be kept for the supervised confinement period of ten days at a place designated and authorized by the Health Director.
(F) Badly wounded, diseased, or suffering animals which are suspected of having rabies may be humanely destroyed immediately, and the head forwarded for examination in accordance with the latest guidelines set forth by the state Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Laboratory Services, for rabies diagnosis.
(Ord. passed 10-6-2008)
Animals not vaccinated against rabies which are bitten by a known rabid animal, or by an animal suspected of having rabies, shall be immediately destroyed unless the owner or keeper agrees to strict isolation of the animal at a veterinary hospital for a period of six months at the owner’s or keeper’s expense. If the animal has a current rabies vaccination, it shall be revaccinated within 72 hours and returned to the owner or keeper within seven calendar days.
(Ord. passed 10-6-2008)
(A) When reports indicate a positive diagnosis of rabies to the extent that lives of persons are endangered, the Health Director may declare an area-wide quarantine for a period as he or she deems necessary. Upon invoking the emergency quarantine, no dog, cat, or equine may be taken or shipped from the county without written permission of the Health Director. During the quarantine, the Health Director, law enforcement officers, or persons duly authorized by the Health Director, may seize and impound any dog, cat, or equine found running at large in the county. During the quarantine period, the Health Director shall be empowered to provide for a program of mass immunization by the establishment of temporary emergency rabies vaccination facilities strategically located throughout the county.
(B) In the event there are additional positive cases of rabies occurring during the period of quarantine, the period of quarantine may be extended at the discretion of the Health Director.
(Ord. passed 10-6-2008)
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