(A) Inoculation. Every owner of a dog or cat four months or more of age shall have each dog or cat inoculated against rabies by a licensed veterinarian. Every dog or cat shall have a second rabies vaccination within one year of the first. Terms of subsequent vaccine administration and duration of immunity must be in compliance with USDA licenses of vaccines used. If a licensed veterinarian establishes in writing that a rabies inoculation would compromise a dog or cat’s health, then the dog or cat shall be exempt from the rabies inoculation requirement.
(B) Inoculation certification, registration. A licensed veterinarian who inoculates the dog or cat of a Lake County resident against rabies shall provide documentation of the inoculation on a certificate form approved by the Health Officer, and shall issue a numbered registration tag, procured from the Lake County Health Department, with each inoculation certificate. Only one dog or cat shall be included on each certificate. All inoculation certificates shall be submitted to the Lake County Health Department monthly.
(1) Registration tag not issued at time of inoculation. If a registration tag is not issued at the time a dog or cat is inoculated against rabies (e.g., if the owner refuses to obtain the tag from the veterinarian or if the veterinarian is located outside the County of Lake), the owner must register the dog or cat within 30 days after the inoculation. The owner must present an approved, properly completed inoculation certificate issued by the veterinarian who administered the inoculation. The Health Department will furnish the owner with a registration tag, the duration of which shall coincide with the period of inoculation.
(2) Medical exemption. If a licensed veterinarian establishes in writing that a rabies inoculation would compromise a dog or cat’s health, and it is determined that the dog or cat is exempt from the rabies inoculation requirement, then the owner must register the dog or cat as medically exempt within 30 days after the determination. The Lake County Health Department will furnish the owner with a medically exempt registration tag, which shall be valid for a period of one year.
(C) Registration tag fees. The fee for a registration tag shall be assessed in accordance with the current schedule set by the Lake County Board of Health. Veterinarians may charge pet owners a service fee, not to exceed $2, for each registration tag issued. All registration tag fees collected by veterinarians shall be submitted to the Lake County Health Department monthly.
(D) Registration requirements for new county residents. A registration tag and inoculation certificate issued by another county in Illinois will be honored until the expiration of the period of inoculation if a dog or cat owner has recently established residence in Lake County. New residents from outside Illinois owning or keeping a dog or cat, four months of age or older, shall register the dog or cat with the Lake County Animal Care and Control Program, within 30 days after establishing residence in Lake County.
(E) Evidence of registration. Every owner of a dog or cat, four months of age or older, shall provide the dog or cat with a collar or harness and attach thereto the official Lake County registration tag to be worn by the dog or cat at all times, except at such times when the dog or cat is kept inside the owner’s residence, or during times when the dog or cat is receiving care or treatment that makes it necessary to remove a collar or harness. Additionally, a dog or cat that is implanted with a microchip that is kept in a secure manner, such as in a physically fenced yard or run, shall be exempt from the requirements of this section.
(Ord. [Bd of Health Ord., Art. X], passed 11-9-1976; Ord. [Bd of Health Ord., Art. X], passed 4-10-1979; Ord. [Bd of Health Ord., Art. X], passed 10-9-1984; Ord. [Bd of Health Ord., Art. X], passed 12-20-1984; Ord. [Bd of Health Ord., Art. X], passed 6-11-1990; Ord. [Bd of Health Ord., Art. X], passed 1-10-1995; Ord. [Bd of Health Ord., Art. X], passed 11-12-1996; Ord. [Bd of Health Ord., Art. X], passed 3-15-2011; Ord. [Bd of Health Ord., Art. X], passed 1-15-2013)