Plumas County Municipal Code Art. 4 Rabies and Health Control

The Health Officer and Animal Control Director are charged with supervising rabies control in the County. If they find that rabies exit in the County, they shall take such control measures as necessary and proper to abate the rabies.

(§ 42305, P.C.O.C., as added by Ord. 468, as amended by § 3, Ord. 86-636, eff. July 17, 1986)

The Health Officer and Animal Control Director shall have the power to quarantine any animal when there is a question of protecting the public health.

(§ 42305, P.C.O.C., as added by Ord. 468, as amended by § 3, Ord. 86-636, eff. July 17, 1986)

Rabies is hereby declared to be a reportable disease. Every veterinarian practicing in the County and every person providing professional medical treatment for animal bites shall immediately notify the Health Department or the Animal Control Director whenever rabies is suspected.

(§ 42305, P.C.O.C., as added by Ord. 468, as amended by § 3, Ord. 86-636, eff. July 17, 1986)

If the owner of any animal observes or learns that such animal shows symptoms of rabies, the owner shall immediately confine the animal and notify the Animal Control Director.

(§ 42305, P.C.O.C., as added by Ord. 468, as amended by § 3, Ord. 86-636, eff. July 17, 1986)

The Animal Control Director shall cause any animal showing symptoms of rabies to be examined by a licensed veterinarian.

(§ 42305, P.C.O.C., as added by Ord. 468, as amended by § 3, Ord. 86-636, eff. July 17, 1986)

If the Animal Control Director, upon the advice of the veterinarian, deems it advisable, he shall cause any animal showing symptoms of rabies to be confined in a veterinary hospital or in an animal control center. No animal so confined shall be released from confinement until authorized by the Animal Control Director.

(§ 42305, P.C.O.C., as added by Ord. 468, as amended by § 3, Ord. 86-636, eff. July 17, 1986)

Whenever any animal bites any person, the owner or, if the owner is unknown, the victim shall report such occurrence to the Animal Control Director, and such animal shall be confined by the Animal Control Director or person in lawful possession for a period of time as prescribed by State laws.

The quarantine of such animal shall be mandatory by the Animal Control Director if the owner resides outside the County.

(§ 42305, P.C.O.C., as added by Ord. 468, as amended by § 8, Ord. 79-328, eff. August 9, 1979, and § 3, Ord. 86-636, eff. July 17, 1986)

Whenever any person or animal is bitten by an animal having rabies, or reasonably suspected of having rabies, the Animal Control Director, upon learning of such bite, shall immediately cause the animal to be impounded until a diagnosis concerning rabies in the biting animal has been made.

(§ 42305, P.C.O.C., as added by Ord. 468, as amended by § 3, Ord. 86-636, eff. July 17, 1986)

Any person who, after notice, violates, or who, upon the demand of the Animal Control Director, refuses or neglects to conform to any rule, order, or regulation prescribed by the Animal Control Director respecting the quarantine of any animal shall be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than Fifty and no/100ths ($50.00) Dollars nor more than One Thousand and no/100ths ($1,000.00) Dollars, or by imprisonment for a term of not more than ninety (90) days, or both. Such person shall be guilty of a separate offense for each day the violation continues.

(§ 3, Ord. 86-636, eff. July 17, 1986)

The Board of Supervisors may adopt by resolution any fees deemed necessary for the requirements of this chapter, and may amend such fees from time to time with the intent to make the animal control program of the County, enacted by this chapter, self-supporting by user fees, charges and fines.

(§ 4, Ord. 93-819, eff. November 16, 1993)

The provisions of this article shall be enforced by any peace officer as defined in Chapter 4.5, Title 3 of Part 2 of the California Penal Code, and by employees of the Environmental Health Department and Animal Control as designated by the Director of Environmental Health and the Animal Control Director, respectively. Such designated employees are authorized to make arrests and issue citations for violations of this chapter.

(§ 1, Ord. 90-746, eff. January 17, 1991, as renumbered by § 4, Ord. 93-819, eff. November 16, 1993)