(A) Immunization.
(1) It shall be required that any dog or cat over the age of four months be vaccinated against rabies with an approved anti-rabies vaccine administered by a veterinarian or certified vaccinator in accordance with G.S. § 130A-185.
(2) All dogs and cats must wear a collar and identification tag and a rabies vaccination tag at all times.
(B) Bites. Wounds inflicted by an animal upon human beings shall be reported immediately to the Police Department who will than notify an animal control officer to investigate.
(1) Every dog or cat that bites a human being and does not have a valid rabies vaccination tag shall be delivered within eight hours of the bite incident by the owner to an animal control officer or the animal control shelter, where the animal shall be confined for observation for not less then ten days. Confinement in a veterinary clinic will be at the discretion of the animal control officer. Both confinement in the shelter and the veterinary clinic will be at the expense of the owner.
(2) Every dog or cat that bites a human being and has a valid rabies vaccination tag shall be delivered within eight hours of the bite incident to a animal control
officer or the county shelter. At the discretion of the animal control officer, the animal may be confined at a veterinary clinic of the owners choice or may be confined on the property of the owner. The expense of confinement at the county shelter or at a veterinary clinic shall be the responsibility of the animal owner.
(3) In the case of stray animals whose ownership is not known, the supervised quarantine required by this section shall be at the county animal control shelter.
(4) (a) If rabies does not develop within ten days after an animal is quarantined under this section, the animal may be released to the owner.
(b) If the animal was confined at the county shelter, the owner shall pay a per-day boarding fee, according to the county fee manual.
(C) Dog or cat bitten by rabid animal. Any dog or cat bitten by a rabid animal or an animal suspected of having rabies that is not available for laboratory diagnosis shall be destroyed immediately by its owner, animal control officer or a peace officer unless the dog or cat has been vaccinated in accordance with this section more than three weeks prior to being bitten, is given a booster dose of rabies vaccine within three days of the bite and the owner agrees to a strict six weeks of confinement either at the owner's property or at a veterinary clinic depending on circumstances and the discretion of the animal control officer.
(`86 Code, § 4-8) (Am. Ord. 01-09-01, passed 9-18-01)