Chapter 6.20
RABIES CONTROL
Sections:
6.20.010 Rabies vaccinations required.
6.20.020 Quarantine required when--Procedure.
6.20.030 Quarantine on premises of owner--Restrictions.
6.20.040 Quarantine--Surrender or confinement required--Cost liability.
6.20.050 Animal diagnosed rabid--Disposition.
6.20.060 Area-wide quarantine--Authorized--Procedure.
6.20.070 Animal exposed to rabies--Destruction required when--Quarantine permitted when.
6.20.080 Area-wide quarantine--Extension authorized when.
6.20.090 Suspect animal--Disposition regulations.
6.20.100 Area-wide quarantine--Controlling regulations authorized.
6.20.010 Rabies vaccinations required.
All warm-blooded animals, three months of age or over, shall be vaccinated for rabies every year. The animals shall be vaccinated for rabies on an annual basis. All animals receiving their first rabies vaccination shall be quarantined for a period of thirty days. (Ord. 2006-03 (part), 2006: Ord. 29 §6(a), 1972).
6.20.020 Quarantine required when--Procedure.
Every dog or other animal which bites a person, or which is suspected by a peace officer or the borough manager of having rabies, or which has been exposed to rabies, shall thereupon be securely quarantined at the direction of the peace officer or borough manager for a period of up to one hundred twenty days, and shall not be released from such quarantine except by permission of the borough manager or peace officer. In the discretion of the borough manager or peace officer, such quarantine may be on the premises of the owner, or at such other place as may be designated by the borough manager or peace officer. All expenses of such quarantine shall be borne by the owner. In the case of stray animals, or in the case of animals whose ownership is not known, such quarantine shall be as directed by the borough manager. (Ord. 2006-03 (part), 2006: Ord. 29 §6(b), 1972).
6.20.030 Quarantine on premises of owner--Restrictions.
If the quarantine described in Section 6.20.020 is carried out on the premises of the owner, the animal involved shall be securely restrained, and so segregated as to not admit of its communication with other animals, and other animals shall be excluded from communicating with it. (Ord. 2006-03 (part), 2006: Ord. 29 §6(c), 1972).
6.20.040 Quarantine--Surrender or confinement required--Cost liability.
Every owner of such animals as are described in Section 6.20.020, upon demand by the borough manager or peace officer, shall forthwith surrender such animal for supervised quarantine, or shall himself undertake such quarantine, if so demanded by the borough manager or peace officer. All expenses incurred by the borough in connection with such quarantine shall be borne by the owner. (Ord. 2006-03 (part), 2006: Ord. 29 §6(d), 1972).
6.20.050 Animal diagnosed rabid--Disposition.
Any animal under quarantine, which has been diagnosed as being rabid, by a person designated by the borough manager as being competent to make such diagnosis, shall be immediately disposed of in accordance with the direction of the borough manager and, if appropriate, the body of such animal shall be utilized for pathological examination. (Ord. 2006-03 (part), 2006: Ord. 29 §6(e), 1972).
6.20.060 Area-wide quarantine--Authorized--Procedure.
At such time as substantiated reports of rabies are made within the borough, or adjacent thereto, the borough manager may order an area-wide quarantine for a period of up to one hundred twenty days and, upon the invoking of such quarantine, no animal shall be taken into the streets or permitted to be in the streets, or at large, during such period of quarantine. During such quarantine, no animal may be taken or shipped from the borough without written permission of the borough manager. All quarantines shall be accomplished is such a manner as to exclude the possibility of further exposure or transmission of the disease to other animals, and shall include the safeguards described above. (Ord. 2006-03 (part), 2006: Ord. 29 §6(f), 1972).
6.20.070 Animal exposed to rabies--Destruction required when--Quarantine permitted when.
During such period of rabies quarantine as mentioned in Section 6.20.060, every dog or cat bitten by an animal adjudged to be rabid, or otherwise exposed to rabies, shall be forthwith destroyed or, at the owner’s option and expense, shall be treated for rabies infection by a licensed veterinarian, or held for up to one hundred twenty days’ quarantine by the owner in the same manner as other animals are quarantined; provided, however, in such event, written permission shall first be secured from the borough manager. (Ord. 2006-03 (part), 2006: Ord. 29 §6 (g), 1972).
6.20.080 Area-wide quarantine--Extension authorized when.
In the event there are additional positive cases of rabies during the period of quarantine, such period of quarantine may be extended for an additional six months on order of the borough manager. (Ord. 2006-03 (part), 2006: Ord. 29 §6(h), 1972).
6.20.090 Suspect animal--Disposition regulations.
Any animal biting a human, and any animal suspected of having been exposed to rabies, shall not be killed or caused to be killed nor removed from the borough except in accordance with the permission or directions of the borough manager. The carcass of any dead animal exposed to rabies shall be surrendered to the peace officer or borough manager. The borough manager shall direct the disposition of any animal found to be infected by rabies or exposed to the same, and no person shall fail or refuse to surrender any animal for quarantine or destruction as required herein when demand is made therefor by the borough manager or a peace officer. (Ord. 2006-03 (part), 2006: Ord. 29 §6(i), 1972).
6.20.100 Area-wide quarantine--Controlling regulations authorized.
The borough manager, subject to the assembly approval, is authorized to establish regulations controlling the impoundment, keeping, release, and destruction of animals captured at large, or animals sighted at large which cannot be readily captured, during all periods of quarantine. (Ord. 2006-03 (part), 2006: Ord. 29 §6(j), 1972).