(a) It shall be the duty and responsibility of the owner of any animal which has bitten any other domestic animal or person to:
(1) notify the Executive Director of such bite within 24 hours of the bite;
(2) subject to subsection (b), confine such animal under the observation of a licensed veterinarian for a period of ten days beginning within 24 hours of the biting incident. If, however, a licensed veterinarian is presented evidence that such animal has been inoculated against rabies within the time prescribed by law prior to the biting, such animal shall be confined on the premises of its owner and in a manner which shall prohibit such animal from biting any other animal or person for a period of ten days; except that, where the animal bite has caused severe injury or death to a person, confinement on the owner's premises shall not be allowed.
(b) After notification by the owner pursuant to subsection (a)(1), the Executive Director may impound, at the owner's expense, any animal that has bitten any other animal or person to make a dangerous animal investigation pursuant to Section 7-12-050(f).
(c) In the event of severe injury or death to a person, the Executive Director shall impound the animal, at the owner's expense, as set forth above in Section 7-12-050(f). It further shall be the duty and responsibility of the owner to have such animal examined by a licensed veterinarian on the first and tenth day of impoundment or confinement or as soon thereafter as possible; provided, that the impoundment or confinement of the animal described above shall not be terminated until examination by a veterinarian.
(d) If an animal is to be impounded by the Executive Director pursuant to this section, the owner shall pay a $150.00 rabies observation fee to cover the cost of housing, food, veterinary services and any other service rendered to the animal. Prior to release of said animal, vaccination and license certificates must be presented to the Executive Director or the director's authorized representative.
(e) It shall be unlawful for the owner of any animal that has bitten any person to sell, euthanize, inoculate, or give away the animal or to permit or allow the animal to be taken beyond the limits of the city during the time period for rabies observation and a dangerous animal investigation.
(f) The owner of any animal impounded pursuant to this section shall pay all costs incurred by the Department for the housing, care and treatment of the animal. Any person who violates any other provision of this section shall be fined not less than $300.00 nor more than $500.00 for each offense, or may be incarcerated for a term not to exceed six months, or both.. Each day that a violation continues shall constitute a separate and distinct offense. In addition to any fine or incarceration that may be imposed by this section, if the owner fails to make the animal available for impoundment, the animal shall become the property of the Department.
(Prior code § 98-5; Amend Coun. J. 10-2-95, p. 8604; Amend Coun. J. 12-4-02, p. 99026, § 4.1; Amend Coun. J. 3-31-04, p. 20916, § 3.26; Amend Coun. J. 3-14-07, p. 99838, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 11-16-16, p. 37901, Art. I, § 13)