(a) Every owner or person in charge of any dog, whether licensed or unlicensed, or in charge of any other animal known to have, or suspected of having, rabies or any other communicable disease, or known to have been bitten by another animal having or suspected of having any such disease, shall forthwith take such animal to a veterinarian for confinement and observation or securely confine such animal on his own premises, and, in either case, such person shall notify the Health Commissioner without delay, and he shall then obey the directives given him by the Health Commissioner. Animals so confined shall be destroyed in a humane manner upon the finding of a veterinarian that they have rabies or some other incurable communicable disease, and no animal shall be released from such confinement, until found by a veterinarian to be free of rabies and other communicable disease.
(b) Rabid animals found at large within the City shall be shot and killed forthwith by any humane officer or by any police officer.
(c) Any person having knowledge of an animal known to have, or suspected of having, rabies or any other communicable disease shall forthwith notify the humane officer or the Chief of Police. If the owner or person in charge of such animal can be found without undue delay, he shall be notified by the humane officer or Chief of Police to comply with the provisions of subsection (a) forthwith; otherwise such animal shall be destroyed in a humane manner.
(Passed 3-2-06.)
(d) Council shall have authority to promulgate and enforce additional rules and regulations relating to diseases of animals and fowl whenever it deems advisable to protect the public safety and welfare, whether or not there be an epidemic, and no person shall violate any such rule or regulation. (1973 Code §4-8, 4-9)