Sec. 4-20.  Impoundment; confinement by owner; test authorized.

 

(a)   Any animal which is owned by a person and has bitten any person or caused an abrasion of the skin of any person shall be seized by the rabies control authority for a period of not less than ten (10) days if:

 

(1)       The animal is suspected of having rabies, regardless of the species and whether or not the animal has been vaccinated;

 

(2)       The animal is not vaccinated and is of a species deter­mined by the State Department of Health to be a rabid species; or

 

(3)       The animal is of a species which has been determined by the State Department of Health to be a rabid species not amendable to rabies protection by immunization, whether or not such animal has been vaccinated.

 

If, after observation and examination by a veterinarian, at the end of the ten-day period the animal shows no clinical signs of rabies, that animal may be released to its owner.

 

(b)   Whenever any person has been bitten or has an abrasion of the skin caused by an animal owned by another person, which animal has been properly vaccinated as required by this chapter, or if such injury to a person is caused by an owned animal determined by the State Department of Health to be a rabid species amenable to rabies protection by immunization which has been vaccinated, such animal shall be confined by the owner or other responsible person as required by the City for a period of at least ten (10) days and shall be observed and examined by a licensed veterinarian at the end of such ten-day period.  The ex­amining veterinarian shall provide the owner or the responsible person with a signed certificate indicating that the animal exam­ined is not rabid.  The certificate signed by the examining veteri­narian shall be returned to the Norfolk Police Division within seventy-two (72) hours of the examination.  Failure to return the signed certificate shall constitute a separate offense under this chapter.  If no clinical signs of rabies are found by the veterinar­ian and the signed veterinarian certificate provided for herein is issued then such animal may be released from confinement.  If the owner, during the ten-day confinement period, fails to confine the animal as instructed by the city, the animal shall be subject to being impounded by the city and failure to properly confine the animal as set forth herein shall constitute a separate offense.

 

(c)   Any animal of a rabid species which has bitten a person or caused an abrasion of the skin of a person and which is unowned or the ownership of which cannot be determined within seventy-two (72) hours of the time of the bite or abrasion shall be immedi­ately subject to any tests which the State Department of Health believes are necessary to determine whether the animal is af­flicted with rabies except where an abrasion of the skin on the head of a person has occurred; then in that instance, the animal shall immediately be subject to any tests which the State De­partment of Health believes is necessary to determine whether the animal is afflicted with rabies.  The time period set forth herein shall include holidays and weekends and shall not be extended for any reason.  The tests required by this subsection may include tests which require the animal to be destroyed.

 

(d)   Any animal showing clinical signs of rabies upon examina­tion as provided herein shall be subject to rabies verification procedures commonly utilized by the State Department of Health.  The tests required by this subsection may include tests which require the animal to be destroyed. 

 

Source: Ord. No. 3523, § 21, 2-1-88