(A) Every dog that bites a human being shall be delivered within eight hours by the owner to the county animal shelter or to a licensed veterinary hospital where it shall be confined for observation for not less than ten days. Wounds inflicted by dogs on human beings shall be reported immediately to the Health Director by the person who has been bitten by the dog, or in the case of a child, his or her parents or guardian. Every physician treating a dog bite wound shall report the fact to the Heath Director immediately. The cost of this confinement shall be borne by the owner (G.S. § 106-380).
(B) Every dog known to have been bitten by another animal which is known, likely or proved to be rabid shall be killed immediately by its owner or by a peace officer; provided, that any dog which has been vaccinated in accordance with the provisions of G.S. §§ 106-364 through 106-387 at least three weeks before being bitten, but not more than one year before, shall be closely confined for 90 days. At the end of the period of confinement, the dog shall be released if declared free of rabies by a licensed graduate veterinarian. If during the period of confinement the dog develops rabies, as determined by a licensed graduate veterinarian, it shall be the duty of the owner to have the animal killed, and property disposed of, subject to the provisions of G.S. § 130A-199 (which provides for the killing of rabid animals and the laboratory examination of the heads of the animals).
(C) Every person who owns or has possession of an animal which is suspect of having rabies shall confine the animal at once in some secure place for at least ten days, before the animal shall be released.
(D) Immunizations of animals (other than dogs) that are susceptible to rabies shall not be required unless they have been currently exposed, in the opinion of the Health Director, to another animal having rabies or suspected of having rabies. The animals shall be destroyed by the Animal Control Officer or upon request of owner confined and quarantined in a place designated by the Health Director for a period of 90 days or until it can be established that the animals are incapable of transmitting rabies to human beings.
(Ord. passed 2-9-1978) Penalty, see § 91.99