§ 2-312. Animal bites, communicable disease; quarantine.

A.

OWNER KNOWN: Upon receipt of notification from any person, including but not limited to the state-required notice given by a duly licensed practitioner of medicine or registered nurse, that an animal bite incident has occurred, or upon the receipt of reliable and verifiable information that an animal is believed to have rabies or some other serious communicable disease, an officer shall make reasonable efforts to contact the owner of the animal involved in the incident. The owner shall be advised that a ten (10) day quarantine period shall be required at one (1) of the following locations, as determined by the Chief of Police or his/her designee:

1.

The residence of the dog, cat or ferret;

2.

In a veterinary hospital; or

3.

At a facility holding a current state pound and shelter license.

At the conclusion of the quarantine period, the Chief of Police or his/her designee shall determine whether or not the dog, cat or ferret is suffering from rabies. If not, then conditional upon the owner's compliance with the requirements for ownership of a dangerous animal pursuant to Article 4 of this chapter, then the Chief of Police or his/her designee shall authorize the release of the dog, cat or ferret upon payment of all applicable boarding fees by the owner.

If the dog, cat or ferret is quarantined at the residence of the owner, the owner shall allow the Chief of Police or his/her designee access to the animal during the quarantine period to verify its status.

If the dog, cat or ferret is quarantined in a veterinary hospital, upon quarantine the owner shall notify the Chief of Police or his/her designee of the name, address and phone number of the veterinary hospital.

B.

FAILURE TO COMPLY: Any owner who shall fail to comply with the provisions of this section, within twenty-four (24) hours or one (1) business day of notification, shall be deemed in violation of this article and the Chief of Police or his/her designee shall take such animal into custody and commit it for the above described confinement period.

C.

DISCOVERED OWNER: If an unknown owner of a suspected dog, cat or ferret becomes known during the quarantine period and seeks to claim the animal, the provisions of subsection (A) shall govern the quarantine of the animal.

D.

STRAY OR UNCLAIMED ANIMAL: Dogs, cats or ferrets exhibiting outward indicia of rabies infection may be sacrificed immediately and the head of the animal submitted for laboratory examination.

E.

The management of horses, cattle and sheep shall be determined by the Chief of Police or his/her designee.

F.

Mammals other than dogs, cats, ferrets, horses, cattle or sheep, including the offspring of wild species cross-bred with domestic dogs and cats, skunks, foxes, raccoons, coyotes, bats and other species known to be involved in the transmission of rabies, whether owned or unowned, shall be sacrificed immediately and the head of the animal submitted for laboratory examination for evidence of rabies infection. Any mammal that has been vaccinated may be sacrificed and tested if the period of virus shedding is unknown for that species.

G.

Mammals, including rabbits, hares, gerbils, guinea pigs, hamsters, mice, rats, squirrels, chipmunks, and other species not known to be involved in the transmission of rabies need not be sacrificed and submitted for laboratory examination for evidence of rabies infection, unless the Chief of Police or his/her designee determines that the circumstances of the potential exposure to rabies indicate otherwise.

H.

The disposition of mammals that are not known to be involved in the transmission of rabies and that are maintained in zoological parks shall be in accordance with the judgment of the Chief of Police or his/her designee.

I.

Quarantine of mammals exposed to rabies by a known or suspected rabid mammal shall be as follows:

1.

Stray or unclaimed dogs, cats or ferrets shall be sacrificed immediately.

2.

Dogs, cats or ferrets that have an owner, are wanted by that owner, and are not immunized against rabies shall be quarantined for six (6) months at one of the following locations, as determined by the Chief of Police or his/her designee:

a.

The residence of the owner of the dog, cat or ferret;

b.

In a veterinary hospital; or

c.

At a facility holding a current state pound and shelter license.

These dogs, cats or ferrets shall be immunized against rabies one (1) month before release from quarantine. The Chief of Police or his/her designee shall authorize the release of the dog, cat or ferret after the required quarantine period upon payment of all applicable boarding fees by the animal owner.

3.

Dogs, cats, ferrets, horses, cattle and sheep that have an owner and are wanted by that owner, and for which the owner produces rabies vaccination certificates that contain the following information shall be immediately revaccinated and kept under the owner's control and observed for forty-five (45) days:

a.

The expiration date of the rabies vaccination; and

b.

Positive identification for each of these mammals showing that the mammals are currently vaccinated by a licensed veterinarian with an approved vaccine for that species.

4.

Horses, cattle and sheep not vaccinated with an approved vaccine for that species shall be sacrificed immediately or quarantined for six (6) months under conditions satisfactory to the Chief of Police or his/her designee. The Chief of Police or his/her designee shall authorize the release of the horse, cow or sheep after the required quarantine period upon payment of all applicable boarding fees by the animal owner.

5.

Other mammals shall be sacrificed immediately, except for those mammals currently vaccinated with an approved vaccine for that species. Mammals that have been appropriately vaccinated may be immediately re-vaccinated and quarantined for at least ninety (90) days under conditions satisfactory to the Chief of Police or his/her designee.

(Memo of 10-26-2017)