When the local health director or designee reasonably suspects that a dog, cat or ferret has been exposed to the saliva or nervous tissue of a proven rabid animal or animal reasonably suspected of having rabies that is not available for laboratory diagnosis, the dog, cat or ferret shall be considered to have been exposed to rabies. The recommendations and guidelines for rabies post-exposure management specified by the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians in the most current edition of the Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control (the “Compendium”) shall be the required control measures.
(A) For purposes of applying the required control measures set forth in the Compendium, appropriate documentation of prior rabies vaccination shall be a valid rabies vaccination certificate or an official veterinary record of a prior rabies vaccine for that specific animal, provided by the animal’s owner. It is the sole responsibility of the animal’s owner to provide appropriate documentation of the animal’s prior rabies vaccination.
(B) Dogs, cats and ferrets exposed to rabies shall be seen by a North Carolina licensed veterinarian immediately for wound care and guidance on post-exposure management.
(Ord. passed 5-3-2004; Ord. passed - - )