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Footnotes:
--- (2) --- State Law reference— Rabies examination, G.L. 1956, § 4-13-26.
Sec. 4-71. - Exemption from article.#
The licensing and vaccination requirements of this article shall not apply to any dog belonging to a nonresident of the city, which dog is kept within the city for not longer than 30 days. However, 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.
(Code 1971, § 3-46)
Sec. 4-72. - Owning or harboring unvaccinated animals.#
It shall be unlawful for any person to own, keep or harbor any dog, cat or ferret over six months old within the city, unless such dog shall have been vaccinated or inoculated in accordance with the provisions of this article.
(Code 1971, § 3-47; Ord. No. O-17-16, § I, 7-18-17)
Sec. 4-73. - Vaccination required for dogs, cats or ferrets over six months of age.#
No dog over six months old shall be permitted within the city limits unless such animal shall have been vaccinated or immunized in the manner set forth in this article within a period of 12 months, if such animal shall have been vaccinated or immunized with the one-year vaccine, or within a period of 36 months, if such animal shall have been vaccinated or immunized by the three-year vaccine.
(Code 1971, § 3-48; Ord. No. O-17-16, § I, 7-18-17)
Sec. 4-74. - Use of approved vaccine; certification of vaccination.#
The vaccination or immunization referred to in section 4-73 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, shall show the rabies tag number, the sex and breed of the dog, cat or ferret and the owner thereof, and whether the vaccine given is the one-year vaccine or the three-year vaccine, together with such other information as may reasonably be required by the state veterinarian or the veterinarian administering the same.
(Code 1971, § 3-49; Ord. No. O-17-16, § I, 7-18-17)
Sec. 4-75. - Vaccination certificate prerequisite to issuance of dog license; public vaccination clinics.#
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 or other person duly authorized to issue such license a current certificate of vaccination or inoculation, as provided in this article, 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 twice a year by the board of public safety.
(Code 1971, § 3-50)
Sec. 4-76. - Impounding of unvaccinated dogs.#
(a)
Any dog over six 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 of the city or other authorized person for a period not exceeding 15 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 this chapter.
(b)
At the expiration of the 15-day period above mentioned, any dog not so claimed by its owner may be disposed of in accordance with this chapter.
(Code 1971, § 3-51)
Sec. 4-77. - Responsibility of veterinarians to report rabies suspects.#
It shall be the duty of every licensed veterinarian to report to the animal control officer any animal considered by him/her to be a rabies suspect.
(Code 1971, § 3-52)
Sec. 4-78. - 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.
(Code 1971, § 3-53)
Sec. 4-79. - Disposition of biting animals and rabies suspects.#
(a)
Every animal which bites a person shall be promptly reported to the animal control officer, and shall thereupon be securely quarantined at the direction of the animal control officer for a period of 14 days, and 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 shelter designated as the city public pound, or, at the owner's option and expense, in a veterinary hospital of his/her choice. In the case of stray animals, or in the cases of animals whose ownership is not known, such quarantine shall be at the shelter designated by the animal control officer.
(b)
The owner, upon demand by the animal control officer, shall forthwith surrender any animal which has bitten a human, or which is suspected as having been exposed to rabies, for supervised quarantine, the expense of which shall be borne by the owner. Said animal may be reclaimed by the owner if it is adjudged free of rabies, upon payment of the fees set forth in this chapter.
(c)
If an animal bites a person and such animal has not been properly vaccinated, such animal shall be quarantined at the city public pound. Prior to its return to the owner, the animal shall be properly inoculated at the direction of the officer in charge of the shelter and the costs of such inoculation shall be borne by the owner of the animal in addition to the cost of the quarantine.
(Code 1971, § 3-54)
Sec. 4-80. - Handling of dogs bitten by known rabid animal.#
Dogs 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 six months shall be enforced. If the dog has been previously vaccinated, within time limits established by the state veterinarian based on the kind of vaccine used, revaccination and restraint (leashing and confinement) for 30 days shall be carried out.
(Code 1971, § 3-55)
Sec. 4-81. - Testing of head of dead suspected rabid animal; procedure upon positive diagnosis; general quarantine and immunization.#
(a)
When rabies has been diagnosed in an animal under quarantine or rabies 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 the pathological examination, and shall notify the state veterinarian of reports of human contacts and the diagnosis.
(b)
When one or both reports indicate a positive diagnosis of rabies, the animal control officer shall recommend an areawide quarantine for a period of 90 days, and, upon invoking of such emergency quarantine, no animal shall be taken into the streets, or permitted to be in the streets, during such period of quarantine. During such quarantine, no animal may be taken or shipped from the city without written permission of the animal control officer.
(c)
During this quarantine period and as long afterward as he/she decides it is necessary to prevent the spread of rabies, the state veterinarian shall require all dogs, three months of age and older, to be vaccinated against rabies with a canine rabies vaccine approved by the Geologics 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 state veterinarian. All vaccinated dogs shall be restricted (leashing or confinement on enclosed premises) for 30 days after vaccination. During the quarantine period, the state veterinarian shall be empowered to provide for a program of mass immunization by the establishment of temporary emergency canine rabies vaccination clinics strategically located throughout the city.
(d)
No dog which 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 state veterinarian and the animal control officer.
(e)
In the event there are additional positive cases of rabies occurring during the period of the quarantine, such period of quarantine may be extended for an additional six months.
(Code 1971, § 3-56)
Sec. 4-82. - Surrender of animal for quarantine or destruction.#
No person shall fail or refuse to surrender any animal for quarantine or destruction as required herein when demand is made therefor by the animal control officer.
(Code 1971, § 3-57)
Sec. 4-83. - Animal control officer to dispose of rabid animals.#
The animal control officer shall direct the disposition of any animal found to be infected with rabies.
(Code 1971, § 3-58)
Sec. 4-84. - Surrender of carcass of dead rabid animal.#
The carcass of any dead animal exposed to rabies shall upon demand be surrendered to the animal control officer.
(Code 1971, § 3-59)
Sec. 4-85. - Killing or removal from city of rabid animal, suspected rabid animal, or animal biting human.#
No person shall kill, or cause to be killed, any rabid animal, any animal suspected of having been exposed to rabies, or any animal biting a human, except as herein provided, or remove any such animal from the city limits without written permission from the animal control officer.
(Code 1971, § 3-60)