(A) Any time an authorized representative of the town or any law enforcement officer suspects an animal within the town is infected with rabies, the town may require it to be impounded for observation as hereinafter provided. When any owner of an animal has been notified that the animal has bitten or attacked any person, the owner must within 24 hours place the animal under the care and observation of a licensed veterinarian. The period of observation shall be a period of not less than ten days, except in those cases when an animal has bitten or attacked while on the premises of the owner and the owner has a current rabies vaccination for the animal. An authorized representative of the town or any law enforcement officer, may, if he or she feels the facilities are adequate and if the owner is a responsible person, quarantine the animal on the owner’s premises. In this case, the owner must sign a statement and understand the responsibility and assume the liability that is involved with the quarantine of an animal that has bitten. The quarantined animal must at all times be available for inspection during the quarantine.
(B) At the end of the ten-day observation period, the animal shall be examined by a licensed veterinarian and, if cleared, may be reclaimed by the owner and the owner must pay the expenses incurred from the incident thereto.
(C) Any animal impounded or placed for observation, showing active signs of rabies, suspected of having rabies, or known to have exposed to rabies, shall be confined under competent observation for such time as may be deemed necessary to determine a diagnosis in such a manner that the head is not damaged and can be submitted for a rabies examination to a laboratory.
(2008 Code, § 10.3.3)