§ 5-19. Rabies quarantine; report of animal bites.

(a)

It shall be the duty of every attending practitioner licensed to practice medicine, osteopathic medicine, or veterinary medicine, and every other person knowing of or witnessing an incident, to promptly report to the Department of Health every instance in which a human is bitten by an animal.

(b)

Any animal that has bitten a human shall be captured alive, if possible. If the animal shows signs of rabies during the quarantine period provided herein, the animal shall be humanely euthanized in accordance with Section 5-24 of this chapter, and its head shall be detached without mutilation and submitted to the local Department of Health laboratory without delay. An animal that dies before capture or during the quarantine period shall also have its head detached and submitted to the Department of Health. Notwithstanding any other provision in this chapter, stray, abandoned, or surrendered animals may be humanely euthanized and have their heads submitted for testing immediately at the end of the applicable confinement period set forth in Section 5-18 of this chapter.

(c)

Any animal that has bitten a human shall be, at the discretion of the Director or the Director of the Department of Public Health: impounded and quarantined for ten (10) days from the date of the bite at the responsible party's expense at a place designated for that purpose by the Director or by the Director of the Department of Health; or placed in the custody of a licensed veterinarian; or quarantined at the responsible party's home.

(d)

Any animal suspected of having rabies or any animal that has been bitten by a known rabid animal shall be impounded and quarantined at the responsible party's expense at a place designated by the Director or the Director of Public Health for that purpose or placed in the custody of a licensed veterinarian for ten (10) days.

(e)

If an animal is quarantined at the home of the responsible party pursuant to this section, the responsible party shall be liable for failing to properly confine the animal during the quarantine period.

(f)

Upon completion of the quarantine period, the responsible party shall take the animal to a licensed veterinarian for certification that the animal is in good health and that its rabies vaccinations are current. The responsible party shall provide the veterinarian's certification to the Department within ten (10) days of the veterinary examination. In addition, the responsible party shall ensure that the dog has been implanted with a microchip, the microchip has been registered with the national registry applicable to the microchip, and the microchip number and other identifying information have been provided to the Department.

(g)

Service animals and animals used for law enforcement purposes shall be exempt from the quarantine requirements of this section, provided that the animal's rabies vaccination is current and was administered in accordance with this chapter.

(Ord. No. 08-10, § 3, 1-22-08; Ord. No. 15-117, § 7, 10-6-15)