(A) Every animal which has bitten anyone or which shows symptoms of rabies shall be confined, and the facts immediately shall be properly reported to the Sheriff's Department or designee by its owners or person having the animal in charge, and thereupon shall be securely quarantined at the direction of the Sheriff’s Department for a period of ten days, and shall not be released from the quarantine except by written permission of the Sheriff’s Department.
(B) The biting animal and its records of vaccination and registration shall be inspected by the Sheriff’s Department who will then observe the following policy.
(1) A properly vaccinated and registered animal may be confined on the owner's premises provided, however, that the Sheriff’s Department determined that the owner has an adequate means of confinement upon his or her own premises and the animal is subject to observation by the Sheriff's Department at any time during the ten-day period.
(2) An animal not properly vaccinated or registered, belonging to an owner, shall immediately be confined in a veterinary hospital or the County Animal Shelter, in which case the expense shall be borne by the owner for the ten days of confinement. The animal shall not be vaccinated during confinement.
(3) A stray animal shall immediately be confined in the County Animal Shelter for a ten-day period.
(a) Except as provided above, when any animal has bitten a human, it shall be unlawful for the owner of the animal to refuse an investigation by the Sheriffs Department; and the Sheriff’s Department shall have the prerogative to place the animal in supervised quarantine at a place or places of his or her choosing. If rabies does not develop within ten days, the animal may be reclaimed upon payment to the County Animal Shelter for the care and feeding of the animal. The reclaim fees will be pre-set and will be posted in the office of the County Animal Shelter. The reclaim fees will be fixed by the Board of Commissioners. The owner must then have the animal properly vaccinated and listed for taxes with the County Assessor.
(b) If an animal dies while under observation for rabies, then the head of the animal shall be submitted to the County Health Department for shipment to the State Laboratory of Hygiene for diagnosis.
(c) It shall be unlawful for any person to kill or release any animal under observation for rabies, any animal suspected of having been exposed to rabies, or any animal biting a human, or to remove the animal from the county without written permission from the Sheriff’s Department.
(d) The carcass of any dead animal exposed to rabies shall be surrendered to the Sheriff’s Department. The head of the animal shall be submitted to the County Health Department for shipment to State Laboratory of Hygiene for diagnosis.
(e) It shall be unlawful for any person to fail or refuse or surrender any animal for quarantine or euthanization as required herein when demand is made therefore by the Sheriff’s Department.
(Ord. passed 7-9-2018)