Chico Municipal Code Ch. 7.12 Rabies Control 3

It shall be unlawful for any person to fail to report any animal suspected of having rabies to the health officer and submit such animal to the examination of the health officer or a representative.

(Prior code § 3.19 (Ord. 224 §1200), Ord. 2268)

It shall be the duty of the health officer, when called upon, to examine, or have examined, any animal if it is suspected of having rabies, and to ascertain whether or not such animal is afflicted with rabies.

(Prior code § 3.20 (Ord. 224 §1200))

Animals suspected of having rabies shall not be destroyed, but shall be kept in confinement until the health officer or a designee shall find that further observation of the live animal is not necessary for the determination of the presence or absence of rabies. After the permission of the health officer has been secured, the animals afflicted with rabies may be destroyed. The person or officer capturing any such animal shall, if the owner thereof is known to such person or officer, notify such owner that such animal has been captured. If any animal is found not to be afflicted with rabies and is not reclaimed by the owner thereof or other person claiming the same within five days after capture, such animal shall be destroyed in some humane manner by the person capturing the same, or the officer to whom the animal was delivered.

(Prior code § 3.21 (Ord. 224 §1201), Ord. 2268)

Whenever it is shown that any animal has bitten any person, the owner or person having the custody or possession thereof shall, upon order of the animal control supervisor or the health officer, deliver such animal to the animal control supervisor or a licensed veterinarian who shall quarantine it and keep it tied up or confined for a period of two weeks. When the animal is delivered to a licensed veterinarian, the owner or person who delivers the animal shall be responsible for all of the costs of the confinement and care of the animal. The health officer may make an inspection or examination of any animal quarantined as herein provided for at any time. If it appears to the health officer, upon examination as aforesaid, or otherwise, that the animal has the rabies, the health officer shall have the animal destroyed forthwith.

(Prior code § 3.22 (Ord. 224 §1202, Ord. 1371 §9), Ord. 2268)

Whenever any animal is bitten by another animal having rabies, the owner or person having the custody or possession of the animal so bitten shall, upon being informed thereof, either destroy such animal or quarantine it and keep it tied up or confined for a period of six months. The health officer shall have power and discretion to destroy or quarantine the animal so bitten, in case the owner or person having custody or possession thereof shall fail to do so immediately or if the owner or person having custody thereof is not readily accessible.

(Prior code § 3.23 (Ord. 224 §1203), Ord. 2268)

It shall be unlawful for any person to bring an animal into the city from any place in which rabies has been known to exist within six months previously, except upon the written permission of the health officer. Such permission is to be granted only upon the condition that the animal, whenever in the city during a subsequent period of six months, will be confined or muzzled.

(Prior code § 3.24 (Ord. 224 §1204))

During the existence of rabies, or if such existence is suspected, the health officer is empowered to order all dogs in the city be muzzled, and to disobey such order is a misdemeanor.

(Prior code § 3.25 (Ord. 224 §1204))

Except as hereinafter provided, no dog of the age of four months or older shall be permitted in the city without having been vaccinated for rabies within a period of less than thirty months, provided that no license shall be issued as required by this title for any dog with respect to which dog a period of thirty months since its last vaccination will expire prior to the expiration of the license year or term for which such license is to be issued. Evidence of compliance with this section shall be a valid official vaccination certificate as issued by a doctor of veterinary medicine, which certificate shall be produced for inspection by any official of the city authorized to administer any provision of this title. The owner of any dog subject to the provisions of this section shall cause to be attached to a collar or harness to be worn by such dog a tag or emblem with sufficient inscription thereon from which it can be established that such dog has been vaccinated and the date thereof.

Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, all dogs shall be vaccinated when required by the provisions of Chapter 3 of Division 3 of the Health and Safety Code of the state.

(Prior code § 3.38 (Ord. 641 §3, Ord. 701 §2, Ord. 993 §1))