(a) The Department or the Health Officer may order any dog, cat, skunk, fox, bat, coyote, bobcat or other animal of a species subject to rabies which has bitten or exposed a person to rabies to be impounded and isolated in strict confinement as approved by the Department or the Health Officer and observed for at least 14 days after the bite or other exposure, except that a dog or cat need only be observed for at least 10 days. No person shall release an animal impounded or confined under this section until the Department or the Health Officer examines the animal and approves its release.
(b) As an alternative to the 10 day isolation of dogs and cats referred to in subsection (a), dogs and cats which have been isolated in strict confinement under proper care and observation as approved by the Department or the Health Officer may be released from isolation by the Department or the Health Officer after five days of veterinary observation if upon conducting a thorough physical examination on the fifth day or more after infliction of the bite, the observing veterinarian certifies that there are no clinical signs or symptoms of any disease.
(c) Notwithstanding the requirements in subsection (a), the Department or the Health Officer may authorize, with the consent of the owner, if known, that the impounded animal be euthanized for the purpose of laboratory examination.
(Amended by Ord. No. 7906 (N.S.), effective 6-20-91; repealed and added by Ord. No. 8211 (N.S.), effective 4-1-93; amended by Ord. No. 8353 (N.S.), effective 3-3-94; repealed and added by Ord. No. 8422 (N.S.), effective 8-11-94; repealed and readopted by Ord. No. 9098 (N.S.), effective 12-16-99; repealed and readopted by Ord. No. 9274 (N.S.), effective 12-15-00; repealed and readopted by Ord. No. 9420 (N.S.), effective 2-2-02; amended by Ord. No. 10036 (N.S.), effective 2-26-10; amended by Ord. No. 10098 (N.S.), effective 1-7-11)