Legal Documents of Maryville
Code of Maryville
Title 10 Animal Control
Chapter 4 Controls And Enforcement
10-402 : Rabies control.
- Every animal or rodent which bites a person shall be promptly reported to the animal control officer. It shall thereupon be securely quarantined at the direction of the animal control officer for a period of ten (10) 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 animal shelter, or, at the owner's option and expense, in a veterinary hospital of his 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 as the animal shelter.
- 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 required fees, and upon compliance of the licensing provisions set forth in § 10-201.
- When rabies has been diagnosed in an animal under quarantine, or rabies 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 proper public health officer of the city of the diagnosis.
-
When one (1) or both reports indicate a positive diagnosis of rabies, the animal control officer shall recommend an area-wide quarantine for a period of sixty (60) days, and upon the invoking of such quarantine, no pet 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.
During this quarantine period and as long afterward as he decides it is necessary to prevent the spread of rabies, the city health officer shall require that all dogs or cats, three (3) months of age and older, shall 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 anti-rabies vaccine to be used and the recognized duration of immunity for each shall be established by the city health officer. All vaccinated dogs or cats shall be restricted (leashing or confinement on enclosed premises) for thirty (30) days after vaccination. During the quarantine period, the city health officer 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 area of the health jurisdiction.
No dog or cat which has been impounded by reason of its being a stray, unclaimed by its owner, shall be allowed to be adopted by the animal shelter during the period of rabies emergency quarantine, except by special authorization of the city health officer and the animal control officer.
- Dogs or cats 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 (6) months shall be enforced. If the dog or cat has been previously vaccinated within time limits established by the city health officer or public health service based on the kind of vaccine used, revaccination and restraint (leashing and confinement) for thirty (30) days shall be carried out.
- In the event there are additional cases of rabies occurring during the period of the quarantine, such period of the quarantine may be extended for an additional six (6) months.
- No person shall kill, or cause to be killed, or remove from the corporate limits, any rabid animal, any animal suspected of having been exposed to rabies, or any animal which has bitten a human, except as herein provided, without written permission from the animal control officer.
- 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.
- 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.
- Each and every provision of this chapter relative to rabies control shall be applicable to all animals and rodents, and the owners thereof in the City of Maryville. (1999 Code, § 10-402)
Officials at Date of Last Codification:
Mayor - Andy White
Vice-Mayor - Fred Metz
Council Member - Sarah Herron
Council Member - Tommy Hunt
Council Member - Drew Miles
City Manager - Greg McClain
Assistant City Manager - Kevin Stoltenberg
City Recorder/Financial Services Director - Sherri Phillips
City Attorney - Melanie Davis