ARTICLE III. - RABIES CONTROL

Footnotes:

--- (3) --- Cross reference— Health and sanitation, ch. 7.

State Law reference— Rabies control, G.L. 1956, §§ 4-13-26—4-13-32.

Sec. 3-51. - Quarantine procedure.#

(a)

Every animal that bites a person shall be promptly reported to the animal control officer. Such animal shall thereupon be securely quarantined, at the discretion of the animal control officer, for a period of ten days or the time period currently required by the Rhode Island Manual for Rabies Management Protocol and it shall not be released from such quarantine except by written permission of the animal control officer. At the discretion of the animal control officer, such quarantine may be on the premises of the owner, at the animal shelter or, at the owner's option and expense, in a veterinary hospital of the owner's choice. In the case of stray animals or animals whose ownership is not known, such quarantine shall be at the shelter designated by the animal control officer. It shall be the duty of the animal owner to contact the animal control officer for a release from the quarantine.

(b)

The owner, upon demand by the animal control officer, shall forthwith surrender any animal that has bitten a human or is suspected as having been exposed to rabies for supervised quarantine, the expense of which shall be borne by the owner. Such animal may be reclaimed by the owner if it is adjudged free of rabies, upon payment of fees set forth in section 3-8.

(c)

When rabies has been diagnosed in an animal under quarantine or is suspected by a licensed veterinarian and the animal dies while under such observation, the animal control officer shall immediately send the head of such animal to the state health department for pathological examination and shall notify the director of environmental control of reports of human contacts and the diagnosis.

(d)

When one or both reports indicate a positive diagnosis of rabies, the animal control officer shall recommend an area-wide quarantine for a period of 90 days. During such quarantine period no animal shall be taken into the streets or permitted to be in the streets, nor shall any animal be taken or shipped from the city without written permission of the animal control officer.

(e)

During the quarantine period and as long afterward as the animal control officer decides it is necessary to prevent the spread of rabies, the city shall require all dogs three months of age and older to be vaccinated against rabies with a canine rabies vaccine approved by the biologics control section of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The types of approved canine antirabies vaccine to be used and the recognized duration of immunity for each shall be established by the city. All vaccinated dogs shall be restricted (leashing or confinement on enclosed premises) for 30 days after vaccination. During the quarantine period, the city shall be empowered to provide for a program of mass immunization by the establishment of temporary emergency canine rabies vaccinations clinics strategically located throughout the city.

(f)

No dog that has been impounded by reason of its being a stray, unclaimed by its owner, is allowed to be claimed during the period of the rabies emergency quarantine, except by special authorization of the animal control officer.

(g)

Dogs or other animals bitten by a known rabid animal shall be immediately destroyed or, if the owner is unwilling to destroy the exposed animal, strict isolation of the animal in a kennel for a period of time currently required by the Rhode Island Manual for Rabies Management Protocol.

(h)

If there are additional positive cases of rabies occurring during the period of quarantine, such period of quarantine may be extended for an additional six months.

(i)

No person shall kill or cause to be killed any rabid animal, any animal suspected of having been exposed to rabies or any animal having bitten a human, except as provided in this article, nor shall such animal be removed from the city limits without written permission from the animal control officer.

(j)

The carcass of any dead animal exposed to rabies shall, upon demand, be surrendered to the animal control officer. The animal control officer shall direct the disposition of any animal found to be infected with rabies.

(k)

No person shall fail or refuse to surrender any animal for quarantine or destruction as required in this section when demand is made therefor by the animal control officer.

(Ch. 449, § I, 5-6-08)

Sec. 3-52. - Reports of bite cases.#

It shall be the duty of every physician or other medical practitioner to report to the animal control officer at the police department the names and addresses of persons treated for bites inflicted by animals, together with such other information as will be helpful in rabies control.

(Ch. 449, § I, 5-6-08)

Sec. 3-53. - Veterinarians to report rabies suspects.#

It shall be the duty of every licensed veterinarian to report to the animal control officer any animal considered to be a rabies suspect.

(Ch. 449, § I, 5-6-08)

Sec. 3-54. - Vaccination required for dogs, cats, and ferrets over four months old.#

No dog, cat, or ferret over four months old shall be permitted within the city limits unless such dog, cat, or ferret shall have been vaccinated or immunized in the manner prescribed by G.L. 1956, § 4-13-31; except as otherwise amended by board regulation, the owner or keeper of a dog, cat, or ferret shall have the animal vaccinated not earlier than three months of age nor later than four months of age and at regular intervals as prescribed by rabies board regulations current requirements set forth by the Rhode Island Rabies Management Protocol (RIRMP), but at no time to exceed recommendations made by the most current compendium of animal rabies control. Stated currently set as any cat or dog shall have been vaccinated or immunized within a period of 12 months, if such dog or cat shall have been vaccinated or immunized with the one-year vaccine, or within a period of 24 months if such dog or cat shall have been vaccinated or immunized by the three-year vaccine. Ferrets must be vaccinated annually.

(Ch. 449, § I, 5-6-08)

Sec. 3-55. - Use of approved vaccine; certification generally.#

The vaccination or immunization referred to in section 3-54 shall be by a vaccine approved by the state department of health and shall be certified to by a licensed veterinarian. Such certificate shall be dated as of the date of inoculation or vaccination and shall show the rabies tag number, the sex and breed of dog, the owner thereof and whether the vaccine given is the one-year or the two-year vaccine, together with such other information as may reasonably be required by the director of environmental control or the veterinarian administering the vaccine.

(Ch. 449, § I, 5-6-08)

Sec. 3-56. - Certification prerequisite to license.#

No license shall be issued for any dog required to be licensed in the city unless the person making application therefor shall first present to the police department of the city, or other person duly authorized to issue such license, a current certificate of vaccination or inoculation for the dog for which such license is requested. Such certificate shall certify that the dog for which the license is to be issued has been properly vaccinated or inoculated in accordance with the provisions of this article. Public clinics providing inoculations at a nominal charge shall be made available once a year by the city clerks office.

(Ch. 449, § I, 5-6-08)

Sec. 3-57. - Unvaccinated dogs—Owning, keeping, harboring prohibited.#

It shall be unlawful for any person to own, keep or harbor any dog over four months old within the city unless such dog shall have been vaccinated or inoculated in accordance with the provisions of this article. (1)

Any person in violation of this article shall be charged with a misdemeanor and fined $200.00 and/or imprisoned for up to ten days for first offense and shall be fined $500.00 and/or imprisoned for up to 30 days for the second and subsequent offenses and/or be subject to confiscation of the animal(s) which is/are the basis of the violation in accordance with RIGL § 4-13-32.

(Ch. 449, § I, 5-6-08)

Sec. 3-58. - Impoundment of unvaccinated dogs.#

Any dog over four months old found within the limits of the city without evidence that such dog has been vaccinated or inoculated in accordance with the provisions of this article shall be impounded by any police officer or animal control officer of the city or other authorized person for a period not exceeding five days, during which time such dog may be returned to its owner upon proof of ownership, vaccination of the dog and payment by such owner of the fees provided in section 3-8. At the expiration of the five-day period, any dog not so claimed by its owner shall be disposed of in accordance with section 3-7.

(Ch. 449, § I, 5-6-08)

Sec. 3-59. - Exemptions.#

(a)

Hospitals, clinics and other premises operated by licensed veterinarians for the care and treatment of animals are exempt from the provisions of this article, except where expressly stated.

(b)

The licensing and vaccination requirements of this article shall not apply to any dog belonging to a nonresident of the city and kept within the city for not longer than 30 days, provided that all such dogs shall at all times while in the city be kept within a building enclosure or vehicle or be under restraint by the owner or other competent person.

(Ch. 449, § I, 5-6-08)