§ 5-75. Destruction or confinement of animal bitten by a known rabid animal.

(a)

Required. Pursuant to N.C. G.S. 130A-197, animals that have never been vaccinated against rabies and that are bitten by a known rabid animal or an animal suspected of having rabies that is not available for diagnosis, shall be immediately destroyed for testing purposes unless the owner or keeper agrees to strict isolation of the animal at a veterinary hospital for the period of four (4) months at the owner's expense and the animal also receives immediate veterinary care with a rabies vaccination within ninety six (96) hours of the bite. If the exposed animal is overdue for it's booster and has documentation of at least one (1) prior rabies vaccination, it must receive veterinary care with a rabies booster within ninety six (96) hours of exposure and may be home quarantined for forty five (45) days under "strict owner observation as defined." If the animal has a current rabies vaccination, it shall be re-vaccinated at the expense of the owner or keeper and returned to the owner or keeper.

(b)

Area-wide emergency quarantine.

(1)

When reports indicate a positive diagnosis of rabies to the extent the lives of persons and animals are endangered, the health director may declare an area-wide quarantine for such a period as he/she deems necessary. Upon invoking of such emergency quarantine, no dog or cat may be taken or shipped from the county without written permission of the health director. During such quarantine, the health director and law enforcement officers may seize and impound at large dogs and cats in the county. During the quarantine, the health director shall be empowered to provide for a program of mass immunization for rabies by the establishment of temporary emergency rabies vaccination facilities. No animal that has been impounded as a stray, unclaimed by its owner or keeper, shall be allowed to be adopted during the period of emergency.

(2)

In the event there are additional positive cases of rabies occurring during the period of quarantine, the quarantine may be extended at the discretion of the health director.

(c)

Post mortem diagnosis.

(1)

If an animal dies while under observation for rabies, the head of such animal shall be submitted to the health department for shipment to the laboratory section of the state department of health and human services for rabies diagnosis.

(2)

The carcass of any animal suspected of dying of rabies shall be processed in the same manner as an animal that died under observation.

(d)

Penalties.

(1)

Failure to comply with destruction or confinement of animal bitten by a known rabid animal (subsection (a)) shall result in a fine of five hundred dollars ($500.00).

(2)

Failure to comply with wide area emergency quarantine (subsection (b)(1)) shall result in a fine of five hundred dollars ($500.00).

(Ord. of 6-7-95, § IV(4); Ord. of 11-6-00, § IV(4); Amend. of 10-3-16; Amend. of 2-19-18; Amend. of 8-6-18)