(A) (1) Any dog, whether under restraint or not, which shall have bitten or otherwise injured any persons so as to cause an abrasion of the skin shall be immediately taken by the Police Department or County Animal Control personnel, impounded at the county pound and kept separated from other animals for ten days. The Chief of Police and County Animal Control personnel may reduce such period of confinement. The victim of such bite shall notify the Police Department of the bite within 24 hours.
(2) If, during that period, such animal develops symptoms of illness, a veterinarian shall diagnose its condition.
(3) If the symptoms disclose or are such as to indicate the presence of rabies, the animal shall be destroyed in such manner, however, as to preserve intact the head, which shall be detached and immediately sent to the diagnostic laboratory of the Department of Agriculture.
(4) In case the animal cannot be safely taken up and impounded, it may be killed, care being taken to preserve the head intact, which shall be detached and immediately delivered to the diagnostic laboratory of the Department of Agriculture.
(B) If, at the expiration of the period of ten days, no symptoms of rabies have developed in such animal so impounded, the same may be redeemed by the owner or keeper on payment of the redemption fees and charges specified by this code.
(C) (1) After having been notified that his or her animal has bitten or otherwise injured any person, the owner or keeper thereof shall not, under any circumstances, permit such animal to be outside of his or her premises, except on a leash with a responsible adult until the procedures prescribed in divisions (A) and (B) above have been completed.
(2) An owner who has knowledge that his or her animal has bitten or otherwise injured any person and knows that the Police Department or County Animal Control center is investigating a claim shall not, under any circumstances, trade, sell or give away the animal until such investigation is complete.
(Prior Code, § 90-1-20) (Ord. 2006-014, passed 7-10-2006) Penalty, see § 90.99