(A) (1) The owner or harborer of an animal(s) which has bitten a person or another animal shall immediately report the incident to the animal control officer and make the animal immediately available for quarantine. Upon receipt of the bite report the animal control officer will quarantine the animal(s). The location of confinement for all quarantines shall be determined by the Department. During the quarantine period, the animal(s) shall be securely confined and segregated from contact with all other animals and/or persons other than the primary caretaker. If the animal is a dog, cat, or ferret and has bitten a person or a domestic animal, it shall be quarantined for ten days. All other animal exposures and quarantines will follow the most current edition of the Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control distributed by the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians.
(2) The location of quarantine cannot be changed without prior authorization from the Department.
(B) A physician who has knowledge of, examined, or treated a victim of an animal bite shall immediately report the incident to the animal control officer. Sufficient information must be provided so that the animal control officer is able to make contact with the victim and/or owner so that required quarantines can be enacted.
(C) A veterinarian who has knowledge of, examined, or treated a victim of a bite or the biting animal shall immediately report the incident to the animal control officer. This also includes reporting all bites that occur within the veterinarian office to include but not limited to: the public, staff members, volunteers, and contracted workers. Sufficient information must be provided so that the animal control officer is able to make contact with the victim, victim animal owner, and/or biting animal owner so that required quarantines can be enacted.
(D) During the quarantine period, the owner or harborer shall provide a current rabies vaccination certificate for the dog, cat, or ferret being quarantined. If proof of vaccination is not provided, the animal(s) will be vaccinated by a veterinarian upon release from quarantine, at the expense of the owner or harborer or shall be subject to enforcement action to mandate rabies vaccination.
(1) An animal(s) quarantined at the Department shall be implanted with a microchip prior to release from quarantine. Such microchip shall be documented with the Department for the life of the animal(s). The cost of the quarantine, preventative vaccinations, minor medical treatments, and the implant and national registry of the microchip shall be at the expense of the owner or harborer.
(2) If the animal(s) is quarantined at a location other than the Department, as determined by the Department, a microchip shall be implanted in the animal(s) within 30 days following the animal’s release from quarantine. Such microchip shall be documented with the Department. The cost of the quarantine and the implant and national registry of the microchip shall be at the expense of the owner or harborer.
(3) The microchip, implanted in connection with each quarantine, shall bear a number which will provide entry into a database containing the animal’s bite history. The microchip shall be contained in a sterilized implanting device and shall be individually packaged.
(4) The microchip and its corresponding registration history shall be considered prima facie evidence in any future dangerous animal determination under § 90.08.
(5) Enforcement action will be taken to mandate microchip implant for owners or harborers who refuse to microchip the animal at redemption.
(E) No person other than the animal control officer or a veterinarian shall kill or cause to be killed any animal suspected of being rabid except in cases of immediate selfprotection, in which event, the person killing the suspected rabid animal will retain the body and immediately notify the Department.
(F) A violation of the quarantine requirements of this section may subject the violating party to penalties under § 90.99 hereof.
(Prior Code, § 90.05) (Ord. G-84-27, passed 12-11-1984; Ord. G-21-15, passed 7-30-2021) Penalty, see § 90.99