(1) (a) Any animal which is owned by a person and has bitten any person or caused an abrasion of the skin of any person shall be seized by the rabies control authority for a period of not less than ten (10) days if:
1. The animal is suspected of having rabies, regardless of the species and whether or not the animal has been vaccinated;
2. The animal is not vaccinated and is a dog, cat, or another animal of a species determined by the department to be a rabid species; or
3. The animal is of a species which has been determined by the department to be a rabid species not amenable to rabies protection by immunization, whether or not the animal has been vaccinated.
(b) If, after observation and examination by a veterinarian, at the end of the ten (10)-day period the animal shows no clinical signs of rabies, the animal may be released to its owner.
(2) (a) Except as provided in division (2)(b) of this section, whenever any person has been bitten or has an abrasion of the skin caused by an animal owned by another person, which animal has been vaccinated in accordance with state law, or if such an injury to a person is caused by an owned dog, cat, or other animal determined by the department to be a rabid species amenable to rabies protection by immunization which has been vaccinated, the animal shall be confined by the owner or other responsible person as required by the rabies control authority for a period of at least ten (10) days and shall be observed and examined by a veterinarian at the end of the ten (10)-day period. If no clinical signs of rabies are found by the veterinarian, the animal may be released from confinement.
(b) A vaccinated animal owned by a law enforcement or governmental military agency which bites or causes an abrasion of the skin of any person during training or the performance of the animal’s duties may be confined as provided in division (2)(a) of this section. The agency shall maintain ownership of and shall control and supervise the actions of the animal for a period of fifteen (15) days following the injury. If during such period the death of the animal occurs for any reason, a veterinarian shall within twenty-four (24) hours of the death examine the tissues of the animal for clinical signs of rabies.
(3) Any dog, cat, or other animal of a rabid species which has bitten a person or caused an abrasion of the skin of a person and which is unowned or the ownership of which cannot be determined within seventy-two (72) hours of the time of the bite or abrasion shall be immediately subject to any tests which the department believes are necessary to determine whether the animal is afflicted with rabies. The seventy-two (72)-hour period shall include holidays and weekends and shall not be extended for any reason. The tests required by this subsection may include tests which require the animal to be destroyed.
(Ref. 71-4406 RS Neb.) (Amended by Ord. Nos. 351, 4/20/93; 642, 6/1/04)