<div class="chunk-title">Sec. 5-5. - Rabies vaccination and county pet registration.</div>
<div class="chunk-content">
            <p class="incr0">
               (a)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content1">
               Every person who is responsible for any puppy, kitten, or ferret shall have such puppy,
               kitten, or ferret vaccinated against rabies and registered as provided in this section
               on or before when the puppy, kitten, or ferret reaches four months of age, but no
               earlier than three months of age.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr0">
               (b)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content1">
               Every dog, cat, and ferret shall be vaccinated as indicated by the state and the county.
               No dog, cat, or ferret shall be exempted from this section due to advanced age.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr0">
               (c)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content1">
               The support services division commander shall issue numbered rabies tags for distribution
               to veterinarians to accomplish the vaccination-registration program described in this
               chapter. Rabies certificates issued to pet owners in New Hanover County shall note
               if the pet owner paid a county pet registration for their pet. There also shall be
               a statement indicating that the county requires all dogs, cats and ferrets four months
               or older to pay an annual county registration fee. This information shall either be
               programmed into the veterinary hospital's computer program or stamped on the certificate
               by the hospital. Such stamp shall be provided by animal services.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr0">
               (d)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content1">
               The board of county commissioners shall establish a preset fee for each combined set
               comprising a vaccination-registration certificate and a tag. This fee shall be in
               addition to the amount the veterinarian may charge for their supplies and services
               in vaccinating a dog, cat, or ferret.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr0">
               (e)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content1">
               No veterinarian practicing in the county shall vaccinate a dog, cat, or ferret without
               complying with the regulation requirements of this section. Each veterinarian who
               agrees to act as an agent of the county to collect the pet registration fees will
               be provided rabies tags from the support services division commander. Veterinarians
               who choose not to collect the registration fees shall be responsible for providing
               their own rabies tags.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr0">
               (f)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content1">
               Each veterinarian shall pay the fee to the support services division commander for
               each set of certificates and tags as established by the county board of health by
               the tenth day of the following month.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr0">
               (g)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content1">
               When vaccinating any dog, cat, or ferret, a veterinarian shall completely fill out
               in triplicate copies of the rabies certificate with the information required by the
               support services division commander. The veterinarian shall immediately provide one
               copy to the person responsible for the dog, cat, or ferret and who is presenting the
               dog, cat, or ferret for vaccination-registering and present another copy to the support
               services division commander by the tenth day of the following month. The remaining
               copy of the certificate shall be retained by the veterinarian performing the vaccination.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr0">
               (h)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content1">
               The copy of the certificate given to a person responsible for the dog, cat, or ferret
               shall be retained by that person and be available for inspection by the support services
               division commander or an authorized representative or any law enforcement officer.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr0">
               (i)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content1">
               At the time of vaccination of any dog, cat, or ferret, the veterinarian shall deliver
               the tag to the person responsible for the dog, cat, or ferret. It is the responsibility
               of every person responsible for a dog, cat, or ferret to attach the tag to the collar
               or harness of the vaccinated dog, cat, or ferret and determine that such collar or
               harness is worn by that dog, cat, or ferret at all times when the dog, cat, or ferret
               is outside the residence of a person responsible for the dog, cat, or ferret. Any
               dog, cat, or ferret found without a tag may be deemed to be not vaccinated under this
               chapter.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr0">
               (j)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content1">
               A veterinarian shall be reimbursed and paid the fee for each certificate and tag by
               the person responsible for the dog, cat, or ferret being vaccinated and registered,
               and payment may be retained by the veterinarian in addition to the veterinarian's
               fee for vaccinating the animal.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr0">
               (k)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content1">
               The first vaccination of a dog, cat, or ferret shall be valid for one year from the
               date of vaccination. The second vaccination for dogs or cats shall be valid for three
               years from the date of the second vaccination. Ferrets require annual rabies vaccinations.
               The support services division commander shall be responsible for notifying the person
               responsible for the vaccination of any dog, cat, or ferret that his dog, cat, or ferret
               needs to be vaccinated again.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr0">
               (l)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content1">
               Dog, cat, or ferret registrations shall be valid for one year from the date of the
               vaccination and shall be renewed annually during the same month. The support services
               division commander shall mail out a registration renewal notice to each dog, cat,
               and ferret owner registered with animal the month before their dog, cat or ferret
               registration expires.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr0">
               (m)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content1">
               It shall be the responsibility of the person responsible for the dog, cat, or ferret
               to have the dog, cat, or ferret vaccinated-registered on time.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr0">
               (n)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content1">
               A dog, cat, or ferret brought into the county which has been vaccinated in accordance
               with the requirements of the state pursuant to G.S. 130A-193, shall be registered
               in the county within 30 days of initial entry into the county. All other dogs, cats,
               or ferrets brought into the county shall be vaccinated and registered immediately.
               This registration shall be accomplished in either of the following ways:
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr1">
               (1)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content2">
               A person responsible for the dog, cat, or ferret may have the animal vaccinated under
               the procedure previously described in this section.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr1">
               (2)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content2">
               A person responsible for the dog, cat, or ferret may present a valid rabies vaccination
               certificate from a veterinarian licensed by a state of the United States (regardless
               of whether that veterinarian has been licensed in the state) to a veterinarian which
               registers dogs, cats and ferrets for the county or to the support services division
               commander or his authorized representative at animal services. Upon presentation of
               such a document, the person responsible for the dog, cat, or ferret shall be issued
               a receipt verifying registration to expire no later than the period the anti-rabies
               is effective, upon payment of the registration fee established by the board of county
               commissioners.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr0">
               (o)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content1">
               [Reserved.]
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr0">
               (p)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content1">
               The support services division commander or his authorized representative or any police
               officer who discovers that a person responsible for a dog, cat, or ferret does not
               have valid proof of rabies vaccination shall cause the person who owns, redeems or
               adopts a dog, cat, or ferret to vaccinate such dog, cat, or ferret within 72 hours.
               If the rabies vaccination is administered within the 72 hours, the citation shall
               be void. Individuals who fail to vaccinate their dog, cat, or ferret within the 72
               hours shall be issued another citation. It is the owner's responsibility to notify
               animal services that the rabies vaccination has been administered or pay the fine.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr0">
               (q)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content1">
               The support services division commander or his authorized representative or any law
               enforcement officer who discovers that a person responsible for a dog, cat, or ferret
               does not have valid proof of a current county pet registration shall issue that person
               a citation for failure to purchase a county pet registration and cause the person
               who owns, redeems or adopts a dog, cat, or ferret to purchase such dog, cat, or ferret
               a county pet registration within 72 hours. Individuals who fail to purchase the county
               pet registration within 72 hours shall be issued another citation for failure to purchase
               the required registration. It is the owner's responsibility to submit to animal services
               proof of purchase. County pet registration citations shall not be void. No county
               registration shall be sold without proof of a current rabies vaccination.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr0">
               (r)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content1">
               In addition to all other penalties prescribed by law, a dog, cat, or ferret is subject
               to impoundment in accordance with the provisions of this chapter if the dog, cat,
               or ferret is found not wearing a currently valid dog, cat, or ferret vaccination-registration
               tag.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr0">
               (s)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content1">
               It shall be unlawful for any person to use for any dog, cat, or ferret a vaccination-registration
               tag issued to any other dog, cat, or ferret.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr0">
               (t)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content1">
               Any operator of a kennel/cattery or owner or keeper of a pack of dogs or cats, in
               lieu of paying the registration fee for individual dogs or cats as provided, may pay
               the current fee schedule adopted by the county board of health for a kennel/cattery.
               Specialty pet registrations shall be purchased at animal services, and a valid vaccination
               certificate shall be presented before each animal is registered.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="historynote0">
               (Code 1978, Â§ 3-5; Ord. of 12-20-2010, Â§ 11; Ord. of 3-12-2012)
               </p>
            <p class="refstatelaw0" block_type="hang"><b>State Law referenceâ€” </b>
               Rabies vaccination certificates, G.S. 130A-189; vaccination and confinement of dogs
               and cats brought into the state, G.S. 130A-193; county rabies vaccination clinics,
               G.S. 130A-187; fee for vaccination at county rabies vaccination clinics, G.S. 130A-188;
               authority to impose an annual license tax on dogs and other pets, G.S. 153A-153; dogs
               and cats not wearing required rabies vaccination tags, G.S. 130A-192.; G.S. 130A-185
               et seq.
               </p></div>