§ 4-31. Report and confinement of animals biting persons or showing symptoms of rabies.

(a)

Every dog, cat or ferret which has bitten any person or which shows symptoms of rabies shall be confined immediately and shall be promptly reported to the animal control section, and thereupon shall be securely quarantined, at the direction of the animal control section, for a period of ten days, and shall not be released from such quarantine except by written permission from the animal control section.

(b)

It shall be unlawful for any person to fail to report as soon as possible that an animal has bitten a person. It shall be unlawful for any person to fail to inform the animal control section of the whereabouts of an animal that has bitten a person, if the owner or keeper has given the animal away or in any way caused the animal to be taken from the owner's or keeper's premises.

(c)

If there is any evidence that an animal bite may have occurred, it shall be assumed by law that a bite did occur and quarantine procedures shall apply if required.

(d)

Every dog, cat or ferret quarantined under this section shall be confined at the expense of its owner or keeper in a veterinary hospital or at the county animal shelter, if space is available; provided, however, that if an animal control officer determines that the owner or keeper of a dog, cat or ferret which must be quarantined has adequate confinement facilities upon his own premises, the animal control officer may authorize the dog, cat or ferret to be confined on such premises upon proof of current vaccination against rabies. If the dog, cat or ferret is confined on its owner's or keeper's premises, an animal control officer shall visit the premises for inspection purposes on the fifth and tenth day of the confinement period. If the owner or keeper fails to provide continuous quarantine of the dog, cat, or ferret on his premises as instructed, the animal shall be removed by an animal control officer and quarantined at a veterinary hospital or at the county animal shelter at the owner's expense. The owner or keeper shall agree in writing to the above conditions prior to the animal control officer authorizing confinement on the owner or keeper's property.

(e)

In case of stray dogs, cats or ferrets whose ownership is not known, the dogs, cats or ferrets may be euthanized and the head examined for rabies or kept for the supervised quarantine period required by this section at the county animal shelter or at a licensed veterinary hospital.

(f)

If rabies does not develop within ten days after a dog, cat or ferret is quarantined under this section, the dog, cat or ferret may be released from quarantine with the written permission of the animal control section. If the dog, cat or ferret has been confined in the county animal shelter, the owner shall pay any necessary veterinarian fees and a boarding fee approved by the board of county commissioners.

(g)

In the case of a non-domestic carnivore or bat, the animal may be euthanized and the head examined for rabies.

(Ord. of 7-9-2012, eff. 8-1-2012)