1771.16 ANIMAL BITES; REPORTS AND QUARANTINE.

      (a)    Whenever any person is bitten by a dog, cat, or other animal, report of such bite shall be made to the Commissioner of Health within twenty-four (24) hours.

   (b)    Whenever it is reported that any dog or cat has bitten a person, that dog or cat shall be quarantined, under an order issued by the Commissioner of Health, for isolation and observation.

   (c)    The dog or cat shall be quarantined:

            (1)    By its owner or harborer; or

            (2)    In a pound or kennel.

   (d)    In all cases of quarantine as required by subsection (b) herein, such quarantine shall be under the supervision of a veterinarian and shall be at the expense of the owner or harborer.

   (e)    Quarantine shall continue until the Commissioner of Health determines that the dog or cat is not afflicted with rabies.

   (f)    In no case shall the quarantine period be for less than ten (10) days from the date on which the person was bitten.

   (g)    During the quarantine, a veterinarian shall observe the dog or cat twice, once at the beginning and again at the end of the quarantine, for symptoms of rabies.

   (h)    The veterinarian shall report to the Commissioner of Health the conclusions reached as a result of these observations.

   (i)    No dog or cat shall be released from the required quarantine unless and until it has been properly immunized against rabies.

   (j)    If the owner or harborer of the dog or cat is unknown, and the dog or cat is exhibiting signs of illness, as determined by a veterinarian, the dog or cat shall be destroyed, as directed by the Commissioner of Health, and the head of the dog or cat shall be submitted to the Ohio Department of Health laboratory for rabies examination.

   (k)    Whenever it is reported to the Commissioner of Health that any other animal that is commonly known to transmit rabies has bitten a person, the animal shall be destroyed, as directed by the Commissioner of Health, and the head of the animal shall be submitted to the Ohio Department of Health laboratory for rabies examination.

   (l)    No person shall fail to comply with the requirements of this section or with any order of the Commissioner of Health made pursuant thereto, nor fail to immediately report to the Commissioner of Health any symptoms or behavior suggestive of rabies.

(Ord. 2022-4-26. Passed 4-13-22.)