(A) Anti-rabies vaccinations required for all dogs and cats not confined to owner’s property. It shall be unlawful to keep a dog or cat over the age of three months in the town unless such cat or dog is immunized against rabies by a vaccination performed by a veterinarian and the period of immunization specified by the veterinarian performing the vaccination has not expired.
(B) Record of anti-rabies vaccination; tag required if not on owner’s property.
(1) A veterinarian who administers an anti-rabies vaccination, at the time a dog or cat is vaccinated, issues to the animal’s owner a durable anti-rabies vaccination identification tag upon which is imprinted the name of the veterinarian’s facility, telephone number and the year and identification number of the vaccination.
(2) For the purpose of identification, each owner of a dog or cat which is kept in the town shall cause the ant-rabies vaccination identification tag to be affixed to the animal’s collar, and to be worn by the animal at all times when not on owner’s property.
(C) Precautionary measures and individual animal quarantine. A captured animal known to have bitten or otherwise exposed a person to the possibility of contracting rabies through non-bite exposure in the town shall be humanely quarantined for a period of not less than ten days. In the sole discretion of the Department of Animal Control/quarantining authority, the quarantine may be on the premises of the owner, or at the owner’s expense in a kennel or veterinary hospital.
(D) Surrender of suspected animal by owner. Whenever the quarantining authority has reasonable cause to suspect that an animal in the town has been exposed to rabies, or bitten or exposed through non-bite exposure a person to rabies, such animal shall be surrendered by its owner for quarantine and observation, at the owner’s expense, promptly upon demand by the quarantining authority. Such quarantine and observation shall be at the owner of the animal’s expense.
(E) Finding of rabies: general quarantine.
(1) When an animal quarantined by the Department of Animal Control has been found to be rabid or is suspected of being rabid by a veterinarian and dies while under observation, the quarantining authority shall take such action as is specified in such cases by the State Board of Animal Health and shall notify the proper public health officials of reports of human contacts made by, and the diagnosis made of, the animal.
(2) When a rabies report is made under division (E)(1) above, the quarantining authority shall institute a general quarantine for a period of 30 days. Upon invocation of the general quarantine by the quarantining authority, any animal found at large in the city may be destroyed without being impounded. During the quarantine period, every animal bitten or exposed through non-bite exposure by an animal adjudged to be rabid shall be confined, at its owner’s expense, or destroyed as specified by the State Board of Animal Health.
(F) Disposition of rabid animals. The quarantining authority shall dispose of any animal reasonably suspected by it of being infected with rabies in the town in accordance with the rules and regulations of the state board of animal health.
(Ord. 2010-T-056, passed 8-30-2010) Penalty, see § 90.99