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It shall be unlawful for any dog, cat, or ferret Owner to fail to comply with the state laws relating to the control of rabies, and it shall be unlawful for any dog, cat, or ferret Owner to fail to provide such dog, cat, or ferret he owns with a suitable collar or harness for the wearing of the rabies tag to be issued upon compliance with state law, and to take such action as is necessary to see that the tag is worn by such dog, cat, or ferret at all times except as otherwise provided in this chapter. It is the purpose of this chapter to supplement the state law by providing a procedure for the enforcement of state laws relating to rabies control. Unless proof of vaccinating is available, it shall be the duty of the county administrative staff to give every person who owns, redeems or adopts a dog, cat, or ferret a proof of rabies vaccination card and a record will be maintained of the vaccination. In addition to all other penalties prescribed by law, a dog, cat, or ferret is subject to impoundment in accordance with the provisions of this Chapter if the dog, cat, or ferret is found not to be wearing a currently valid rabies tag. It shall be unlawful for any person to use or display a vaccination tag for a dog, cat, or ferret other than the dog, cat, or ferret for which the tag was issued.
(Amend. of 3-1-2010; Amend. of 6-6-2016)
(a) It shall be unlawful for an Owner to fail to show proof of current vaccination against rabies (hydrophobia) with an approved vaccine for his dog, cat, or ferret. Should it be deemed necessary by the county health director, board of commissioners, or the state public health veterinarian that other pets be vaccinated in order to prevent a threatened epidemic or to control an existing epidemic, it shall be unlawful for an Owner to fail to provide for a current inoculation against rabies for that animal.
(1) Bite cases; duty of Owner. Every animal which has bitten anyone or which shows symptoms of rabies shall be confined immediately and shall be promptly reported to the Animal Services Department by its Owner, by the person bitten or by the treating physician; and thereupon the animal shall be securely quarantined at the direction of the Animal Services Department for a period of ten days, and shall not be released from such quarantine except by written permission from the Animal Services Department Head. The biting animal and its records of vaccination shall be inspected by the Animal Services Officer who will then observe the following policy:
a. A properly vaccinated animal may be confined on the Owner’s premises; provided that an Animal Services Officer determines that the Owner has an adequate means of confinement upon his own premises and the animal is subject to observation by the officer at any time during the ten-day period.
b. An animal not properly vaccinated shall immediately be confined in a veterinary hospital or the county Animal Shelter, in which case the expense shall be borne by the Owner for the ten-day confinement. The animal shall not be vaccinated during confinement.
c. A stray dog shall immediately be confined in the county Animal Shelter for a ten-day period.
(2) Surrender for quarantine required on demand. Except as provided in subsection (1), it shall be unlawful for the Owner of an animal which has bitten a human to refuse to surrender the animal for the purpose of supervised quarantine by the Animal Services Department upon demand. The expense of such supervised quarantine shall be borne by the Owner. If rabies does not develop within the ten days, the animal may be reclaimed upon payment of a fee per day, in an amount according to the Fee Schedule, and upon compliance with other provisions of this chapter.
(3) Rabies diagnosed. If an animal dies while under observation for rabies, then the head of such animal must be submitted immediately to the state laboratory of Hygiene for diagnosis.
(4) Emergency quarantine and procedure. When reports indicate a positive diagnosis of rabies, the county Director of Public Health may order an area-wide quarantine for a period as s/he deems necessary; in this event, no animal within the effective area shall be allowed off of the Owner’s premises during such time. During such quarantine, no animal may be taken or shipped from the county without written permission from the Animal Services Department Head. Any Animal Services Officer, the Animal Services Department Head, any sworn police officer or officer of the sheriff's department is authorized during such quarantine to impound any animal found running at large in the area affected. During the quarantine the Animal Services Department Head or the Director of Public Health shall be empowered to provide for mass immunization by the establishment of temporary emergency rabies vaccination clinics. No animal which has been impounded by reason of its being a stray, or at large and is unclaimed by its Owner may be adopted from the Animal Shelter during the quarantine, except by special authorization of the Director of Public Health or the Animal Services Department Head.
(5) Infected animals to be destroyed; protection of vaccinated animals. An animal bitten by a confirmed rabid animal or animal suspected of having rabies that is not available for laboratory diagnosis shall be destroyed immediately by its Owner, a county Animal Services Officer, or other law enforcement officer unless the animal has been vaccinated against rabies in accordance with this Chapter and the rules of the Commission more than three weeks prior to being bitten, and is given a booster dose of rabies vaccine within three days of the bite.
(b) If there are additional positive cases of rabies occurring during the period of quarantine, such period of quarantine may be extended at the discretion of the Director of Public Health. During the quarantine period the Director of Public Health may require annual vaccinations against rabies.
(c) It shall be unlawful for any person to kill or release any animal under observation for rabies, any animal suspected of having been exposed to rabies, or any animal biting or which has bitten a human, or to remove such animal from the county without written permission from the Animal Services Department Head and the Director of Public Health.
(d) The carcass of any dead animal exposed to rabies shall be surrendered to the Animal Services Department. The head of such animal shall be shipped to the state laboratory of hygiene for diagnosis.
(e) It shall be unlawful for any person to fail or refuse to surrender any animal for quarantine or destruction as required in this section when demand is made therefore by the Animal Services Department Head or an Animal Services Officer.
(Amend. of 3-1-2010; Amend. of 6-6-2016)
Upon complying with the rabies vaccination provisions of this chapter, there shall be issued to the Owner of the dog, cat, or ferret vaccination metallic tags, stamped with the number and the year for which issued. It shall be unlawful for any dog, cat, or ferret owner to fail to provide his dog, cat, or ferret with a collar or harness to which current vaccination tag is securely attached. A collar or harness with attached tags must be worn at all times. Examples of improper collars include, but are not limited to, chains, wire, or cords.
(Amend. of 3-1-2010; Amend. of 6-6-2016)
It shall be unlawful for an Owner or any other person maintaining an animal in the county to permit or negligently allow an animal to be at large. An Owner may lawfully permit an animal which is not dangerous or vicious to be at large in the course of a show, obedience school, tracking tests, field training, or other events sanctioned or supervised by a recognized organization. Hunting dogs may be at large in the course of hunting if under the control of the owner. However, this provision does not exempt an owner from otherwise complying with the provisions of this chapter.
(Amend. of 3-1-2010; Amend. of 6-6-2016)
The Animal Services Department Head may exercise the authority granted to the Public Health Director by G.S. 130A-200; provided, this does not in any way limit the authority of the Public Health Director to exercise such authority.
(Amend. of 3-1-2010; Amend. of 6-6-2016)
The Animal Services Department is authorized to enforce the provision of Chapter 12, Article II of the Johnston County Code of Ordinances with regard to noise made by animals.
(Amend. of 3-1-2010; Amend. of 6-6-2016)
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