Any animal impounded for observation for rabies shall be held until released by the City Veterinarian or otherwise disposed of. Such period of observation shall normally be ten days, but the City Veterinarian may, at his or her discretion, permit the animal to be returned to its owner during the observation period on condition that the owner return the animal to the City Veterinarian on request. No person to whom an animal has been released during such rabies observation period shall fail to return the animal released upon request by the City Veterinarian. Any animal found rabid shall be immediately destroyed in a humane manner. The expense of testing any animal for rabies shall be borne by the owner of the animal, provided, that if any animal shall be subjected to a test for having bitten any person and such animal was not at large at the time of biting, and the person bitten was a trespasser on the premises where such biting occurred, the trespasser shall be charged with the expense of the rabies test. Any animal impounded for having bitten any person shall be held for not less than five days and in case any complaint shall have been made before any court having jurisdiction of such cases, whereby an order that the animal be killed or confined, is sought, then for such further time until the final disposition of such case.
(Ord. 278, passed 5-6-96; Am. Ord. 278, passed 8-7-00)