Sacramento Municipal Code Art. VII Rabies

Any person owning or having custody or control of any dog, of the age of four months or over, in the city shall procure and maintain its vaccination by a veterinarian, or as provided through vaccination clinics, with a canine antirabies vaccine approved by the health department of the state. Any person who brings a dog, at the age of four months or over to the city, who does not have a valid antirabies vaccination certificate, shall obtain an antirabies vaccination for such dog within ten (10) days, pursuant to the provisions of this section. (Prior code § 6.06.060)

Any dog may be exempted from antirabies vaccination if its owner presents to the animal care services manager a statement in writing from a licensed veterinarian that such dog is not in physical condition to be vaccinated or that antirabies vaccination would be detrimental, for physiological reasons, to such dog's health. Such written statement must be presented to and endorsed by the health officer within five days of the examination. The intent of this provision is to cover periods of actual illness and not to exempt animals because of age alone. (Ord. 2010-021 § 12; prior code § 6.06.061)

A. Veterinarians shall provide the city of Sacramento animal care services manager or his or her designee the following information for each rabies vaccination he or she administers or which is administered on his or her behalf to an animal that is required to be licensed by the city:

1. The name and residence address and phone number of the animal's owner;

2. The name, age, sex (including spay/neuter status), species, breed and color of the animal;

3. The date the vaccination was administered;

4. The type of vaccination used and the vaccine's expiration date;

5. The name of the veterinary clinic and veterinary license number of the veterinarian administering the vaccination.

B. Each veterinarian shall deliver to the city of Sacramento animal care services manager or his or her designated represented the information listed in subsection A of Section 9.44.640 within thirty-one (31) days of administering the rabies vaccination in the form of a paper copy or in an electronic format approved by the City of Sacramento Animal Care Services Division.

C. Violation of this section is an infraction punishable by a fine of fifty dollars ($50.00) for a first offense; one hundred dollars ($100.00) for a second offense; and two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00) for a third and subsequent offenses. (Ord. 2004-045 § 1)

The animal care services manager shall insure that all animals falling into the following categories shall be isolated or quarantined for a period not less than fourteen (14) days (dogs and cats ten (10) days) at the place and under the conditions prescribed by the health officer and pertinent state laws and regulations: (1) known rabid animals; (2) suspected rabid animals; (3) animals that have bitten or otherwise exposed a human to rabies; (4) animals of a species subject to rabies which have been bitten by a known rabid or suspected rabid animal or have been in intimate contact with a rabid or suspected rabid animal. (Ord. 2010-021 § 12; prior code § 6.06.063)

It is unlawful for the owner or keeper of any animal to violate any of the conditions of isolation or quarantine prescribed by the health officer, the animal care services manager, or their assistants. (Ord. 2010-021 § 12; prior code § 6.06.064)

Upon the death of any rabid animal, clinically suspected rabid animal, or animal which has or is suspected of having bitten or otherwise exposed a human to rabies, the animal care services manager shall obtain and turn over to the health officer the carcass of such animal or an adequate specimen thereof. (Ord. 2010-021 § 12; prior code § 6.06.065)

It is the duty of any person having knowledge that any dog or other animal has or is suspected of having bitten any human being within the limits of the city to immediately report that fact to animal care services manager or to the health department and to furnish complete information regarding the incident. In the event that the animal care services manager secures information of the existence of any case of rabies or other animal disease dangerous to human beings in the city, he or she shall immediately report the same to the health officer. The owner of any animal which has or is suspected of having bitten any person within the preceding fourteen (14) days, shall immediately, upon demand, surrender such animal to the animal care services manager for purposes of quarantine or confinement as set forth in Section 9.44.650. It is unlawful and a misdemeanor for any person having control, custody or possession of the animal, whether or not he or she is the owner of such animal, to fail to surrender such animal to the animal care services manager upon demand or to in any way hinder, interfere with, or delay the animal care services manager in the performance of his or her duties under the provisions of this chapter. Punishment for a violation of this section shall be imprisonment for a period of not less than fifteen (15) days or more than one hundred eighty (180) days or a fine of not less than two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500.00) for each violation, or both such fine and imprisonment. (Ord. 2010-021 § 12; Ord. 2000-017 § 4(a)(25); prior code § 6.06.066)

Upon order of the health officer, the period of isolation or quarantine for any animal may be extended to twenty (20) days. If the health officer shall determine that such animal is suffering from rabies and by reason of such disease is dangerous to persons or other animals, he or she shall require that the animal be destroyed. If the health officer shall determine that the animal is not so diseased the animal care services manager shall notify the owner or person from whom custody of the animal was taken, that further isolation or quarantine is unnecessary.

If the animal was isolated or quarantined at the city animal care services center, it shall not be released until the owner or person from whose custody the animal was taken shall have paid to the animal care services manager the sum per day established by resolution of the city council for keeping such animal; provided, however, that if no person lawfully entitled to such animal shall, within five days after the last day of the quarantine period, appear at the animal care services center and request the release of such animal and pay the charges, such animal may be sold or disposed of. (Ord. 2010-021 § 12; prior code § 6.06.067)