(a) Vaccination Required. No owner, keeper or harborer of any dog or cat shall keep, maintain or allow such dog or cat to remain on his premises unless it has been vaccinated by a licensed veterinarian with anti-rabies vaccine.
(b) Rabies Epidemic; Proclamation and Safeguards. Whenever it becomes necessary to safeguard the public from the dangers of rabies, the Mayor, if he deems it necessary, shall issue a proclamation ordering every person owning or keeping a dog or cat to confine it securely on the premises, unless such dog or cat has a muzzle of sufficient strength to prevent it from biting any person. No person shall fail to comply with such proclamation. Any unmuzzled dog or cat running at large during the period of time established by such proclamation shall be seized and impounded and, if suspected of being infected with rabies and displaying vicious propensities, may be killed by the Animal Control Officer without notice to the owner. Dogs or cats impounded during the first two days of such proclamation shall, if claimed within five days, be released to the owner, unless infected with rabies, upon payment of the impounding charges set forth in Section 618.13(d). If a dog or cat is unclaimed for that period of time such dog may be summarily destroyed.
(c) Rabies Suspected; Procedure. If a dog or cat is believed to have rabies, such dog or cat shall be confined by leash or chain on the owner's premises and shall be placed under the observation of a veterinarian, at the expense of the owner, keeper or harborer, for a period of ten days. Alternatively, in the Animal Control Officer's sole discretion, the Animal Control Officer may impound the dog or cat for a period of ten days at the expense of the owner, keeper or harborer. Whenever the Animal Control Officer receives notice that a dog or cat is suspected of having been exposed to rabies, the Animal Control Officer shall notify the owner, keeper or harborer to chain such dog or cat on the owner, keeper or harborer's premises and require that such dog or cat shall then be placed under the observation of a veterinarian, at the owner, keeper or harborer's expense, for a period of two months. No person knowing or suspecting that a dog or cat has rabies shall allow such dog or cat to be taken off the premises or beyond the City limits without first obtaining the written permission of the Animal Control Officer. Any person suspecting that a dog or cat is rabid, shall immediately notify the Animal Control Officer or a police officer, who shall immediately impound such dog or cat and shall keep such dog or cat under observation for a period of ten days, after which, unless reclaimed by the owner, keeper or harborer of such dog or cat may be summarily destroyed. In the event any dog or cat suspected of being infected with or believed to have rabies is destroyed, the head of such dog or cat shall be sent forthwith to an appropriate institution for the purpose of a laboratory examination for possible rabies diagnosis.
(Ord. 64-128. Passed 12-21-64; Ord. 04-43. Passed 11-15-04.)
(d) Whoever violates any of the provisions of this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor.
(Ord. 07-30. Passed 7-16-07.)