(A) Quarantine. Every dog or cat that has bitten a person or that shows symptoms of rabies shall be confined immediately and shall be promptly reported to the Henderson County Animal Services Center, and thereupon shall be securely quarantined, at the direction of the Henderson County Animal Services Center, for 10 days commencing from the time of the bite. Animals quarantined under this section shall be confined at the expense of the owner.
(1) All dogs and cats shall be housed at the Henderson County Animal Services Center unless approved by the Henderson County Public Health Director or his/her designee in writing.
(2) Animals may be quarantined in approved veterinary quarantine at the veterinarian's office. This must be approved by the Henderson County Director of Public Health in writing. In instances where this option is used, the owner must sign a document produced by Henderson County/Town of Fletcher where the owner accepts all liability for the animal. At the end of the quarantine, the owner or the veterinarian must provide documentation stating the animal does not have rabies and has been properly vaccinated against rabies.
(3) Animals quarantined at the Henderson County Animal Shelter must be claimed no more than 24 hours after the end of the quarantine period. After this period the animal shall be considered relinquished to Henderson County Animal Services.
(B) Authority to seize animals for noncompliance. If the owner or the person who controls or possesses the dog or cat refuses to confine the animal as required by this section, the Henderson County Director of Public Health may order seizure of the animal and its confinement for 10 days in such a place as the Henderson County Director of Public Health designates, at the expense of the owner.
(C) Disposition of animal other than dog, cat or ferret. An animal other than a dog or cat or ferret that bites a person shall be immediately euthanized and its head forwarded to the North Carolina State Laboratory of Public Health for rabies testing.
(D) Quarantine of stray animals. In the case of stray animals whose ownership is not known, the supervised quarantine required by this section shall be at the Henderson County Animal Services Center.
(E) Authority to euthanize unclaimed animals. If any animal is unclaimed after a 10-day confinement, then the Henderson County Animal Services Director may have the animal euthanized.
(F) Release from quarantine. If rabies does not develop within the 10-day quarantine period under this section, the animal may be released from quarantine to its owner.
(G) Report of bites. Every physician or other medical practitioner who treats a person or persons for any animal bite or scratch or any person having knowledge of an animal bite or scratch shall within 12 hours, report such treatment to the Henderson County Animal Services Center giving the name, age, sex and precise location of the bitten/scratched person or persons and such other information as the officer or agency may require.
(H) Euthanization of wounded, diseased or suffering animals. Badly wounded, diseased, or suffering animals that are suspected of having rabies may be humanely euthanized immediately and the head forwarded for rabies testing.
(Ord. O-17-16, passed 11-13-2017)