A. Vaccination required. Every owner or person having the care, custody and control of any dog over the age of four months within the City shall have the dog vaccinated against rabies by a duly licensed veterinarian, shall secure from the veterinarian a certificate thereof, and shall attach to the collar or harness, which such person is hereby required to place upon the dog, a tag showing that such vaccination has been done; provided, that the City Council may, by resolution, provide that owners of any dog may themselves purchase serum and vaccinate their own dogs. The resolution shall also prescribe the condition with which the owner must comply to obtain the tag hereinafter required.
B. Public places; Vaccination; Tag Required. It shall be unlawful for the owner of any dog to suffer, allow or permit such dog to be or go upon any sidewalk, street, alley, public place or square within the City without first having had such dog vaccinated every two years against rabies as above provided within the past two years, and without there being on such dog a collar or harness with a license tag thereon showing that such dog has been so vaccinated.
C. Duty to Report Bites. Any person having knowledge of any individual or animal having been bitten by an animal of a species subject to rabies shall report the incident immediately to the Division of Animal Control, giving the name and address of the person bitten and of the owner or custodian of the biting animal, if available. Failure to provide such information or otherwise assist the division to provide such information or otherwise assist the division in discovering possible exposure to rabies or in ascertaining the immunization of an animal shall be in violation of this chapter.
D. Vaccination; Certificate. Rabies vaccination is required for dogs and cats. The owner of a dog or cat shall have said animal vaccinated within thirty (30) days after it reaches the age of four months. Unvaccinated dogs or cats over four (4) months of age acquired by the owner or brought into the jurisdiction must be vaccinated within thirty (30) days. Every dog shall be revaccinated thereafter every thirty-six (36) months, and every cat shall be revaccinated thereafter every twelve (12) months with a modified rabies virus vaccine approved by the division. This provision shall not apply to a veterinarian temporarily maintaining on their premises animals owned by others. Each veterinarian, when vaccinating any animal for rabies, shall complete a certificate of rabies vaccination (in duplicate) a copy of which shall be distributed to the owner and original retained by the issuing veterinarian, which includes the following information:
1. Owner's name and address.
2. Description of animal (breed, sex, marking, age, name).
3. Date of vaccination.
4. Rabies vaccination tag number.
5. Type of rabies vaccine administered.
6. Manufacturer's serial number of vaccine.
E. Unvaccinated Animals. Any unvaccinated animal shall be impounded but may be reclaimed prior to disposal by payment of impound fees and by obtaining a rabies vaccination within 72 hours of release. Any animal not reclaimed prior to the five-day period may be disposed of pursuant to provisions of this chapter.
F. Biting Animals. Management of biting animals shall be as follows:
1. A healthy dog, cat, or ferret that bites a person shall be confined and observed at least daily for ten days from the date of bite, regardless of vaccination status. Unless otherwise recommended by medical personnel, the rabies vaccine shall not be administered during the observation period. Such animals shall be evaluated by a veterinarian at the first sign of illness during confinement. A veterinarian or animal control officer shall immediately report any illness in the animal to the local health department. If signs suggestive of rabies develop, a veterinarian or animal control officer shall direct that the animal be euthanized, its head removed, and the head shipped under refrigeration, not frozen, for examination of the brain by a laboratory approved by the Utah Department of Health and Human Services.
2. If the dog, cat, or ferret shows no signs of rabies or illness during the ten-day period, the veterinarian or animal control officer shall direct that the unvaccinated animal be vaccinated against rabies at the owner's expense before release to the owner. If a veterinarian is not available, the animal may be released, but the owner shall have the animal vaccinated within 72 hours of release. If the dog, cat, or ferret was appropriately vaccinated against rabies before the incident, the animal may be released from confinement after the 10-day observation period with no further restrictions.
3. Any stray or unwanted dog, cat, or ferret that bites a person may be euthanized immediately by a veterinarian or animal control officer and the head submitted, as described in R386-702-12(2)(a) of the Utah Administrative Rules for rabies examination. If the brain is negative by fluorescent-antibody examination for rabies, one can assume that the saliva contained no virus, and the person bitten need not be treated.
4. If a wild animal, including a raccoon, skunk, coyote, fox, or bat and any carnivorous animal other than a domestic dog, cat, or ferret, bites or scratches a person, the person or attending medical personnel shall notify an animal control or law enforcement officer. A veterinarian, animal control officer or representative of the Division of Wildlife Resources shall kill the animal at once, without unnecessary damage to the head, and submit the brain, as described in Subsection R386-702-12(2)(a) of the Utah Administrative Rules for examination for evidence of rabies.
5. Any animal bitten or scratched by a wild, carnivorous animal or a bat that is not available for testing shall be regarded as having been exposed to rabies. The animal shall be placed in a strict quarantine for four months for dogs and cats, or six months for ferrets.
6. For maximum protection of the public health, unvaccinated dogs, cats, and ferrets bitten or scratched by a confirmed or suspected rabid animal shall be euthanized immediately by a veterinarian or animal control officer. If the owner is unwilling to have the animal euthanized, the animal control officer shall order that the animal be held in strict isolation in the city animal shelter at the owner's expense, for at least four months for dogs and cats, and six months for ferrets. The animal shall be vaccinated one month before being released. If any illness suggestive of rabies develops in the animal, the veterinarian or animal control officer shall immediately report the illness to the local health department and the animal control officer shall direct that the animal be euthanized and the head shall be handled as described in R386-702-12(2)(a).
7. Dogs, cats, and ferrets that are currently vaccinated and are bitten by rabid animals, shall be revaccinated immediately by a veterinarian and confined and observed by the animal's owner for 45 days. If any illness suggestive of rabies develops in the animal, the owner shall report immediately to the local health department and the animal shall be euthanized by a veterinarian or animal control officer and the head shall be handled as described in Subsection R386-702-12(2)(a).
8. Livestock exposed to a rabid animal and currently vaccinated with a vaccine approved by the United States Department of Agriculture for that species shall be revaccinated immediately by a veterinarian and observed by the owner for 45 days. Unvaccinated livestock shall be slaughtered immediately. If the owner is unwilling to have the animal slaughtered, the animal shall be kept under close observation by the owner for six months.
9. Unvaccinated animals other than dogs, cats, ferrets, and livestock bitten by a confirmed or suspected rabid animal shall be euthanized immediately by a veterinarian or animal control officer. (Ord. 2024-15, 8-7-2024)