Lathrop Municipal Code Ch. 6.24 Quarantine of Biting Animals

All animals in violation of the Rabies Control Act (California Health and Safety Code Section 121575 et seq.), or of the rabies control provisions of this chapter, shall be quarantined or impounded and shall be subject to destruction in some humane manner or to other disposition as provided by this chapter.

(Prior code § 91-100; Ord. 01-191 § 13)

Any person or parent or guardian of such person, or an owner of an animal, bitten or scratched by an animal of a species subject to rabies shall immediately report such incident to the animal control officer or the health department.

(Prior code § 91.101)

Every veterinarian and every person providing professional medical treatment for animal bites by an animal of a species subject to rabies shall immediately notify the animal control department or police department, whenever rabies is suspected.

(Prior code § 91.102)

A. The animal control officer shall issue a written notice to the owner of or to any person harboring an animal within the city to quarantine such animal for a period of 10 days, or for such period as required by state law, when the animal control officer has received information that such animal has bitten or otherwise exposed any person or other animal. The animal shall not be released from such quarantine except by written permission from the animal control officer.

B. Upon demand made by the animal control officer, the owner shall forthwith surrender any animal which has bitten a human or other animal, or which is suspected of having been exposed to rabies, for supervised quarantine at the animal shelter, the costs of which shall be borne by the owner. The animal may be reclaimed by the owner if adjudged free of rabies and upon the payment of board fees as determined by resolution of council and upon compliance with the licensing provisions. No impoundment fee shall be incurred under such circumstances. At the discretion of the animal control officer, such quarantine may be on the premises of the owner. For stray animals whose ownership is not known, such quarantine shall be at the animal shelter.

(Prior code § 91.103)

It shall be unlawful for any person to allow any animal to run at large or fail to keep the animal quarantined after being so notified.

(Prior code § 91.104)

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, unless in self-defense or the defense of others, nor remove such animal from the city without written permission from the animal control department.

(Prior code § 91.105)

Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter, a guide dog serving a blind master shall not be quarantined in the absence of evidence that he or she has been exposed to rabies unless his or her owner fails:

A. To keep the dog safely confined to the premises of the owner;

B. To keep the dog available for examination at all reasonable times.

(Prior code § 91.106)

Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, a dog used by any state, county, city or city and county law enforcement agency shall not be quarantined after biting any person if such bite occurred while the dog was being used for any law enforcement purpose. The law enforcement agency shall make the dog available for examination at any reasonable time. The law enforcement agency shall notify the animal control department within its jurisdiction if the dog exhibits any abnormal behavior.

(Prior code § 91.107)

Violation of any provision of this chapter shall constitute a misdemeanor.

(Prior code § 91.108)