(a)   Every person bitten by an animal, whether wild or domesticated, within the city, shall report the bite to the police department or to the animal control officer. If the person so bitten is a minor or incapacitated person, then the report shall be made by such person’s natural guardian, conservator, or person having custody. The report shall be in writing and shall be signed by the person making the report.

(b)   Any law enforcement officer or animal control officer is authorized to apprehend any animal which is alleged to have bitten a person, whether the biting shall have been observed by the law enforcement officer or animal control officer or reported pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, and to quarantine such animal for a minimum of ten days. At the discretion of the animal control officer, such quarantine may be on the premises of the possessor, at the shelter designated as a city animal shelter, or at the possessor’s expense, in a veterinary hospital of the possessor’s choice; provided, however, that if a court of competent jurisdiction shall find that the animal did not in fact inflict the alleged bite, then the animal shall be released at once without payment for the cost of its care, and such cost shall be paid by the city.

(c)   Upon demand made by the animal control officer, the possessor shall forthwith surrender any animal which is alleged to have bitten a human, or which is suspected of having been exposed to rabies, for supervised quarantine, which expense shall be borne by the possessor, and may be reclaimed by the possessor if adjudged free of rabies, upon payment of all fees and costs incurred by the city.

(d)   When an animal under quarantine has been diagnosed as being rabid, or suspected by a licensed veterinarian of being rabid, or dies while under such observation, the animal control officer shall immediately send the head of such animal to the appropriate health department for pathological examination, and shall notify the appropriate public health official of reports of human contacts and the diagnosis made of the suspected animal.

(e)   When a laboratory report, either preliminary or final, gives a positive diagnosis of rabies, the police chief shall declare a citywide quarantine for a period of 90 days, and upon the invoking of such quarantine, no animal shall be permitted to be at large except on a leash and accompanied by a responsible person during such period of quarantine. During such quarantine no animal may be taken or shipped from the city without written permission of the animal control officer. During this quarantine period and as long afterward as the animal control officer decides it is necessary to prevent the spread of rabies, the police chief shall require all animals with respect to which vaccination against rabies is available to be so vaccinated. All vaccinated animals shall be restricted (leashing or confinement on enclosed premises) for 30 days after vaccination. During the quarantine period, the police chief shall be empowered to provide for a program of mass immunization by the establishment of temporary emergency rabies vaccination clinics. No animal which has been impounded and is unclaimed by it possessor shall be transferred to a new possessor during the period of rabies emergency quarantine, except by special authorization of the police chief.

(f)   During such period of rabies quarantine as mentioned in this section, every animal bitten by an animal diagnosed as being rabid shall be forthwith destroyed, or at the possessor’s expense and option, shall be treated for rabies infection by a licensed veterinarian.

(g)   If there are additional positive cases of rabies occurring during the last half of the period of the quarantine, such period of quarantine may be extended for an additional 45 days.

(h)   No person shall kill, or cause to be killed, any rabid animal, any animal suspected of having been exposed to rabies, or any animal biting a human, except as provided in this section, nor remove the same from the city limits without written permission from the animal control officer.

(i)    The carcass of any dead animal exposed to rabies shall, upon demand, be surrendered to the animal control officer.

(j)    The animal control officer shall direct the disposition of any animal found to be infected with rabies.

(k)   No person shall fail or refuse to surrender any animal for quarantine or destruction as required in this section when demand is made thereof by the animal control officer.

(Ord. No. 2014-3076, § 2, 7-16-2014; Ord. 2018-3144)

It shall be the duty of every licensed medical provider to report to the police department or the animal control officer the names and addresses of persons treated for bites inflicted by animals, together with such other information as will be helpful in rabies control.

(Ord. No. 2014-3076, § 2, 7-16-2014; Ord. 2018-3144)

It shall be the duty of every licensed veterinarian to report to the police department or the animal control officer the diagnosis of any animal observed by such veterinarian as a rabies suspect.

(Ord. No. 2014-3076, § 2, 7-16-2014; Ord. 2018-3144)

It shall be the duty of every possessor of an animal which may be vaccinated for rabies to obtain that vaccination and to maintain possession of a copy of the vaccination record.

(Ord. No. 2014-3076, § 2, 7-16-2014; Ord. 2018-3144)