§ VI. Rabies control.

A.

Immunization.

1.

It shall be unlawful for any animal owner or other person to fail to comply with the state laws relating to the control of rabies. It is the purpose of this ordinance to supplement the state laws by providing a procedure for the enforcement of state laws relating to rabies control, in addition to the criminal penalties provided by state law. Should North Carolina state law applicable to rabies control be amended to include other types of animals in the class of those required to have rabies vaccinations, or should any other change inconsistent with this section be made, the amended law of the State of North Carolina shall apply.

2.

It shall be required that any dog or cat four months of age or younger be kept in a secure enclosure or be at all times under restraint of the owner or his agent.

3.

It shall be unlawful for any dog or cat owner to keep any dog or cat four months of age or older unless such dog or cat has been immunized against rabies in accordance with North Carolina law and with an approved antirabic vaccine administered by a licensed veterinarian, and said dog is wearing a collar with a valid rabies vaccination tag at all times. Said tag shall have a number corresponding to the number of a rabies vaccination certificate in possession of the owner. Cats are hereby exempted from any requirement that they wear rabies vaccination tags; provided, however, that cat owners must demonstrate proof of vaccination upon request by an Animal Control Officer. An owner complying with all of the requirements of this section need not display said rabies vaccination tag on a dog during the actual duration of organized hunting activities if:

a.

The dog is on private property with the consent of the owner of that property; and

b.

The owner or keeper is in actual physical possession of said rabies vaccination tag during the organized hunting activities.

4.

Animal Control Officers may impound any dog found off the owner's or keeper's real property while not wearing the required vaccination tag. During the impoundment period, the Animal Control Officer shall make a reasonable effort to locate the owner of the animal. If the animal is wearing an owner identification tag or if the Animal Control Officer is otherwise able to determine ownership of the animal, the Animal Control Officer shall notify the owner in writing, and by more immediate means where reasonably possible. An animal impounded pursuant to this section shall be released to its owner upon payment of all applicable fees and upon agreement by the owner as follows: (1) to have the animal vaccinated against rabies, if not already vaccinated; and (2) to provide the required rabies vaccination certificate to the Animal Control Officer within three days of the animal's release. If an animal is released and the owner fails to provide the required rabies vaccination certificate within three days of release, the Animal Control Officer may again impound the animal whether located on or off the owner's or keeper's real property.

If an animal impounded pursuant to this section is not reclaimed by its owner during the impoundment period, the animal shall be disposed of in one of the following manners: adopted as a pet by a new owner; or put to death by a procedure approved by the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Humane Society of the United States or of the American Humane Association. Animals shall be impounded for a period of not less than 72 hours prior to disposal.

B.

Bites.

1.

When a person has been bitten by an animal, that person or the parent, guardian or person standing in loco parentis of that person, and the person owning the animal or in control or possession of the animal shall notify the Health Director immediately and give the name and address of the person bitten and the owner of the animal. Every physician treating an animal bite would shall also report the incident to the Health Director immediately. The person who has been bitten (or if a minor, such person's guardian) and the person owning the animal or in control or possession of the animal may contact 911 if emergency attention is necessary.

2.

Every dog or cat that bites a human being and does not have a valid rabies vaccination tag shall be delivered within eight hours of the bite incident by the owner or keeper to the County Animal Shelter or to a licensed veterinary hospital, at the choice of the owner, where the animal shall be confined for observation for not less than 10 days. The owner shall be responsible for the cost of such confinement. An Animal Control Officer may, in his sole discretion, permit the animal to be confined on the premises of the owner only when, after personal inspection by the officer, he determines that there is a suitable secure enclosure on the premises and that other circumstances warrant such action. If the owner or the person who controls or possesses a dog or cat that has bitten a person refuses to confine the animal as required by this section, the Health Director may order seizure of the animal and its confinement for 10 days at the expense of the owner.

3.

A dog or cat bitten by a proven rabid animal, or animal suspected of having rabies that is not available for laboratory diagnosis, shall be destroyed immediately by its owner or an Animal Control Officer, except that any dog or cat which is immunized under the laws of the State of North Carolina at the time of the bite shall be inoculated with a booster vaccine within three days of the bite. If such a dog or cat develops rabies as determined by a licensed veterinarian, it shall be the duty of the owner to have such animal destroyed and properly disposed of according to the provisions of G.S. § 130A-199, which requires that rabid animals be destroyed and their heads sent to the State Laboratory of Public Health for rabies diagnosis.

C.

Transferred Animals. All dogs and cats shipped or otherwise brought into Union County, except for exhibition purposes where the dogs or cats are confined and not permitted to run at large, shall be securely confined and vaccinated within one week after entry, and shall remain confined for two additional weeks after vaccination. This section shall not apply to those dogs and cats accompanied by a valid rabies certificate issued by a licensed veterinarian showing that said dog or cat has a current rabies vaccination as determined by the rabies expiration date on the certificate.

State law reference

Time of rabies vaccination, 10A N.C. Admin. Code 41G.0101.