<div class="chunk-title">Sec. 5-7. - Rabies vaccination and control.</div>
<div class="chunk-content">
            <p class="incr0">
               (a)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content1">
               <span class="ital">Vaccination required.</span> Should it be deemed necessary by the county health director, the board of county
               commissioners or the state public health veterinarian that other animals be vaccinated
               in order to prevent or control an epidemic, a potential epidemic, or other communicable
               conditions dangerous to or threatening the health or welfare of persons or animals
               in the county, it shall be unlawful for an owner to fail to provide current, necessary
               inoculations as directed against rabies or other communicable diseases or conditions.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr0">
               (b)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content1">
               <span class="ital">Bite cases; duty of owner.</span> Every dog or cat which has bitten anyone or which shows symptoms of rabies shall
               be confined immediately and shall be reported immediately to animal control by its
               owners or persons having charge of the animal, and thereupon shall be securely quarantined
               at the direction of the animal control supervisor for a period of not less than ten
               days and shall not be released from such quarantine except by written permission from
               the animal control supervisor. If the dog or cat becomes sick during the ten-day period,
               the dog or cat shall be examined by a licensed veterinarian at the expense of the
               owner. The biting animal, and its record of vaccination, if any, shall be inspected
               by an animal control officer, who shall observe the following procedure:
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr1">
               (1)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content2">
               A properly vaccinated animal may be securely quarantined and confined on the owner's
               premises if an animal control officer determines that the owner has an adequate means
               of confinement and quarantine upon his own premises, that the animal is being properly
               and adequately confined and quarantined on the owner's premises, and the animal is
               subject to observation by animal control at any time during the ten-day quarantine
               period. The owner has 72 hours to present to the officer proof of vaccination. If
               valid proof is not presented within 72 hours, the animal control officer shall seize
               the animal and confine it at a veterinary hospital, in a kennel approved by the health
               director at the expense of the owner to complete the quarantine or confinement period.
               The animal shall not be vaccinated prior to or during quarantine and confinement.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr1">
               (2)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content2">
               Any animal not properly vaccinated shall immediately be quarantined and confined in
               a veterinary hospital, in a kennel approved by the health director at the expense
               of the owner for the ten-day quarantine period. The animal shall not be vaccinated
               prior to or during quarantine and confinement.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr1">
               (3)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content2">
               Any stray animal shall immediately be quarantined and confined in the county animal
               shelter for a ten-day period, or euthanized after being confined for a minimum of
               72 hours, and the head examined for rabies.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr0">
               (c)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content1">
               <span class="ital">Surrender for quarantine required on demand.</span> Except as provided in subsection (b), it shall be unlawful for the owner to refuse
               to release upon demand, after an investigation by animal control any animal which
               has bitten a human for the purpose of quarantine and the expense of which shall be
               borne by the owner. If rabies does not develop within ten days, the animal may be
               reclaimed upon payment of the current fee schedule adopted by the board of health
               and upon compliance with other provisions of this chapter.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr0">
               (d)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content1">
               <span class="ital">Rabies diagnosed.</span> If any animal dies while under observation for rabies, that animal's head shall be
               submitted to the county health department and the state laboratory of public health
               for analysis.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr0">
               (e)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content1">
               <span class="ital">Emergency quarantine and procedure.</span>
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr1">
               (1)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content2">
               When reports indicate a positive diagnosis of rabies, the county director of public
               health shall order an area wide quarantine for such period as deemed necessary; and
               upon the invoking of such emergency quarantine by the health director, no animal capable
               of contracting rabies shall be at large or not strictly restrained during such period
               except for treatment at the office of a licensed veterinarian. During such quarantine,
               no animal may be taken or shipped from the county without written permission of the
               health director. Animal control, police and sheriff's department is fully authorized
               during such emergency to impound or follow the procedures in G.S. 130A-195 in handling
               any animal found running at large in the county.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr1">
               (2)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content2">
               During the quarantine period, the health director shall be empowered to provide for
               a program of mass immunization by the establishment of temporary emergency rabies
               vaccination clinics strategically located throughout the county. No animal which has
               been impounded by reason of its being a stray, unclaimed by its owner, shall be allowed
               to be adopted from the animal shelter during the period of emergency rabies quarantine
               except by special authorization of the county health director.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr1">
               (3)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content2">
               If there are additional positive cases of rabies occurring during the period of quarantine,
               such period of quarantine may be extended at the discretion of the county health director.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr0">
               (f)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content1">
               <span class="ital">Destruction of animals bitten by rabid animal</span> When the local health director reasonably suspects that a dog or cat has been exposed
               to the saliva or nervous tissue of a proven rabid animal or animal reasonably suspected
               of having rabies that is not available for laboratory diagnosis, the dog or cat shall
               be considered to have been exposed to rabies. A dog or cat exposed to rabies shall
               be destroyed immediately by its owner, the county animal control officer or a peace
               officer unless the dog or cat has been vaccinated against rabies in accordance with
               this chapter and the rules of the commission more than three weeks prior to being
               exposed, and is given a booster dose of rabies vaccine within three days of the exposure.
               As an alternative to destruction, the dog or cat may be quarantined at a facility
               approved by the local health director for a period up to six months, and under reasonable
               conditions imposed by the local health director.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr0">
               (g)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content1">
               <span class="ital">Killing or releasing animals under observation prohibited; penalty.</span> It shall be unlawful for any person to kill or release any animal under observation
               or quarantine for rabies, any animal suspected or having been exposed to rabies, or
               any animal having bitten a human, or to remove such animal from the county without
               written permission from the county health director. Any violation of this section
               shall be subject to those penalties prescribed by <a href="" data-chunk-id="COOR_CH5AN_ARTIINGE_S5-23VIMI" class="section-link" data-product-id="13885">section 5-23</a>.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="incr0">
               (h)
               </p>
            		
            <p class="content1">
               <span class="ital">Failure to surrender carcass prohibited.</span> It shall be unlawful for any person to fail or refuse to surrender any animal or
               carcass for quarantine or destruction as required in this section when demand is made
               by animal control division.
               </p>
            		
            <p class="historynote0">
               (Ord. of 6-17-2013(1); Ord. of 2-19-2018(1); Ord. of 3-19-2018(1))
               </p>
            <p class="refstatelaw0" block_type="hang"><b>State Law referenceâ€” </b>
               Confinement of all biting dogs and cats, G.S. 130A-196; confinement, G.S. 130A-198;
               infected dogs and cats to be destroyed, G.S. 130A-197; rabid animals to be destroyed,
               G.S. 130A-199; rabies quarantine, G.S. 130A-194 et seq.
               </p></div>