(A) (1) When a person has been bitten by an animal having rabies or suspected of having rabies, it shall be the duty of the person or his or her parent or guardian if the person is a minor, and the person owning the animal or having the same in his or her possession or under his or her control, to notify the Nash County Health Director or person duly authorized by the County Health Director immediately and give their names and addresses and the owner or person having the animal in his or her possession or under his or her control shall immediately securely confine it for ten days at the expense of the owner in a place as may be designated by the County Health Director.
(2) It shall be the duty of every physician, after his or her first professional attendance upon a person bitten by any animal having rabies or suspected of having rabies, to report to the County Health Director the name, age and sex of the person so bitten and precise location of the bite wound, within 24 hours after first having knowledge that the person was bitten.
(3) If the owner of or a person who has in his or her possession or under his or her control an animal having rabies or suspected of having rabies refuses to confine the animal as required by this subchapter or by G.S. § 130A-196, the County Health Director may order seizure of the animal and its confinement for ten days in a place as the County Health Director designates.
(B) Law enforcement agencies investigating animal bites shall report the bites immediately to the County Health Director or person duly authorized by the County Health Director and give the names and addresses of persons bitten and the owner of the animal.
(C) Animals confined per division (A) above shall not be released from confinement, except by permission from the County Health Director.
(D) Animals confined per division (A) above shall be confined at the expense of the owner or keeper.
(E) In the case of an animal whose owner or keeper is not known, the animal shall be kept for the supervised confinement period required by this subchapter at the animal shelter.
(F) Badly wounded, diseased or suffering animals which are suspected of having rabies may be humanely destroyed immediately and the head forwarded for examination.
(1988 Code, § 91.36) (Ord. passed 11-4-1986)