§ 14-44. Rabies control.

(a)

Report of animals infected with or showing symptoms of rabies. It shall be the duty of the owner or of any person knowing of an animal infected with or showing suspicious symptoms of rabies or any unusual behavior to report the same within 12 hours to the county health officer or the animal control officer.

(b)

Duties of county health officer.

(1)

The county health officer or animal control officer shall enforce the applicable state statutes and the applicable rules of the state department of health and rehabilitative services.

(2)

Whenever the county health officer or animal control officer is informed that an animal has bitten or scratched a person or is suspected of having or showing suspicious symptoms of rabies or other infectious or contagious disease, the county health officer or animal control officer may capture such animal, alive, if possible, and quarantine it under observation for a period of at least ten days from the date of bite or scratch.

(3)

The quarantine shall be in the holding facility designated by the county or, at the owner's request and with approval of the county health officer or animal control officer, in a licensed veterinary hospital. Quarantined animals shall be released only upon approval of the county health officer or animal control officer. The owner shall bear the cost of the care, feeding and maintenance of a quarantined animal.

(4)

If a quarantined animal dies, the county health officer, the animal control officer, the bite victim and the owner of the animal shall be notified by the operators of the quarantine facility; and the head of the animal shall be forwarded to one of the state board of health laboratories for pathological examination.

(5)

In the event rabies exists in any given area to the extent that circumstances indicate necessity of quarantine and if such quarantine is ordered by the county health officer or animal control officer, the following requirements shall be enforced by the county health officer or animal control officer in the area of quarantine:

a.

All animals, vaccinated as well as unvaccinated, must be confined to their owners' premises and will be permitted to be away from the premises only when under proper restraint as required in section 14-32. Confinement to owners' premises may be by fence, cage or chain attached to a stake or animal run.

b.

All animals found not under proper restraint are to be impounded. Animals may be released to their owners or agents upon payment of impounding fees. No animals will be released from the holding facility except to owners or agents. Unvaccinated animals which have been impounded will not be released to the owners or agents until said animals have been vaccinated or until arrangements have been made with the animal control officer to vaccinate the animals. Animals will not be adopted during a quarantine period.

(6)

The owner of any ferret, dog or cat vaccinated with an approved antirabies vaccine as set forth in F.S. § 828.30, as amended, except such ferret, dog or cat exempted from the vaccination in subsection 14-42(a)(1) after receiving approval of the county health officer or animal control officer, may have such ferret, dog or cat quarantined and confined in a place other than the places specified in subsection (b)(3) of this section. However, if at any time during the quarantine it is determined by the county health officer or animal control officer that the quarantine is not properly maintained in order to ensure isolation of the animal, this exemption shall be void, and the animal shall be impounded at the owner's expense.

(7)

Quarantined animals may, with the county health officer's or animal control officer's permission, be quarantined at or on the owner's property.

(8)

Any animal subject to quarantine shall not be vaccinated before the quarantine period has expired.

(c)

Penalty. Any person found in violation of this section is subject to the penalties prescribed in section 14-32.

(Ord. No. 91-33, § VI, 10-10-91; Ord. No. 93-25, § VI, 11-4-93; Ord. No. 94-15, § III, 9-18-94; Ord. No. 2006-09, § I, 4-27-06)