§ 6-126. Reporting, bites, scratches; zoonotic diseases.
(a)
Any veterinarian or other person having knowledge of an animal bite or scratch to an individual or other animal within the city that the person could reasonably foresee as capable of transmitting rabies, or who knows of an animal that the person suspects is rabid, shall report the incident or animal to the director, who is also the local rabies control authority immediately.
(b)
Any veterinarian or other person having knowledge of an animal diagnosed as having any reportable zoonotic disease shall report same to the director within five (5) days.
(c)
The owner of such diseased or biting or scratching animal who learns of such incident shall immediately give his name and address together with the animal's license number and date of last rabies vaccination to the person bitten or injured, or to a parent or guardian of such person who is under the age of eighteen (18) years. The owner shall notify the director within twenty-four (24) hours of his name; the animal's license number; the name of the injured person, and other information requested by the director related to the animal and injured party.
(d)
If the animal control officer is present, the owner/keeper shall immediately surrender the animal. If an animal control officer is not present and the owner/keeper does not surrender the animal to the animal control facility within twenty-four (24) hours of the incident occurring, the director or any appointed animal control officer shall seize and impound any animal for rabies observation upon the sworn affidavit of any person with knowledge that the animal has bitten a person or another animal. An administrative search warrant shall be obtained from any municipal court judge or other magistrate to enter onto private property to search for the biting animal if permission to enter is not given.
(Ord. No. 2018-20, § 1, 8-13-2018)