(A) Owner known. Upon receipt of notification from a duly licensed practitioner of medicine or registered nurse that an animal bite incident has occurred, the officer shall make reasonable effort to contact the owner of the animal involved in the incident and advise the owner to place the animal immediately with a regularly licensed and practicing veterinarian of the owner's choice for a confinement period of a minimum of ten days from the time of the occurrence of the bite. The exact period of confinement may be longer than ten days at the discretion of the veterinarian selected and the owner shall be liable for all such costs incurred. Confinement at home is allowed if the dog has an up-to-date rabies vaccination. Dogs without an up-to-date rabies vaccination must be confined at a veterinary clinic or euthanized and tissues submitted for rabies evaluation. Consistent with Jo Daviess County requirements home quarantine requires three visits by a veterinarian over a ten day period.
(B) Failure to comply. Any owner who shall fail to comply with the provisions of this section, within 24 hours or one business day of notification, shall be deemed in violation of this subchapter and the officer shall take such animal into custody and commit it for the above described confinement period.
(C) Owner unknown. Biting animals for which an owner cannot be located shall be taken into custody by the animal control officer and confined for observation. If the bite to the victim is on the neck or head, or if the animal is behaving strangely or is ill, the animal shall be held for 24 hours before euthanized. If the bite to the victim is not on the neck or head, and if the animal is not behaving strangely or is not ill, the animal shall be held for three days before euthanized. If the owner seeks to claim the animal, the provisions of division (A) of this section shall govern the confinement of the animal. Should such animal become ill, die or is euthanized within the confinement period, the bite victim or victim's representative shall be notified and the city shall direct further management of the animal or animal remains. If the animal is alive and well at the end of the confinement period, the bite victim or victim's representative shall be notified, and the animal shall become the property of the humane society.
(Ord. O-10-20, passed 6-14-10)