San Luis Obispo County Municipal Code Ch. 9.08 Rabies Control

(a) The owner or custodian of any dog or dog hybrid over the age of four months shall procure its vaccination against rabies virus infection.

(b) Every dog so vaccinated shall be revaccinated at an interval consistent with the labeling directions for the specific vaccine and as approved by the California Department of Public Health.

(Ord. No. 3498, 11-7-23)

(a) The owner or custodian of any cat or cat hybrid over the age of four months which is allowed to roam at large shall procure its vaccination against rabies virus.

(b) Every cat so vaccinated shall be revaccinated at an interval consistent with the labeling directions for the specific vaccine and as approved by the California Department of Public Health for so long as it is allowed to roam at large.

(Ord. No. 3498, 11-7-23)

(a) The requirement for rabies vaccination for any dog or cat may, upon the approval of the chief animal control officer, be waived for a period of up to one year following the submission of a certification by a veterinarian listing a specific medical diagnosis or condition affecting the animal and stating that due to such condition the administration of a rabies vaccination poses a grave or life-threatening risk to the animal. The form of such certification is to be specified by the chief animal control officer.

(b) Advanced age alone does not constitute a basis for the waiver of rabies vaccination requirements.

(c) Any animal so exempted from rabies vaccination shall be restricted to the enclosed yard or premises of the owner or keeper unless it is securely constrained by a leash no more than six feet in length.

(Ord. No. 3498, 11-7-23)

(a) Vaccination against rabies infections shall be performed by a duly qualified and licensed veterinarian using a vaccine of a type approved for use in that species of animal by the California Department of Public Health.

(b) The veterinarian performing the vaccination shall issue to the owner or custodian of the animal a certificate of vaccination which shall include:

(1) The manufacturer and type of vaccine used;

(2) The date of the vaccination;

(3) The duration of vaccination;

(4) A true description of the animal to which the vaccination was administered, including species, age, breed, sex and color; and

(5) The name and address of the owner or custodian of the animal.

(c) A copy of the vaccination certificate shall be sent by the veterinarian to the division within thirty days of said vaccination.

(Ord. No. 3498, 11-7-23)

Any person bitten by a dog, cat, raccoon, skunk, bat, fox, coyote, bobcat, or other animal of a species subject to rabies infection, any parent or guardian of a minor child so bitten, any physician or healthcare provider treating a person so bitten, and any other person having knowledge of a person so bitten shall, within twenty-four hours, notify the division and report, if known:

(a) The name, address, and phone number of the person bitten;

(b) The type of animal inflicting the bite;

(c) The name, address, and phone number of the owner of the animal; and

(d) The time, date, and circumstances under which the bite occurred.

(Ord. No. 3498, 11-7-23)

It is a misdemeanor for any person to permit any animal owned, harbored or controlled by him or her, to inflict upon any human being a bite that penetrates the skin while the person bitten is on any public place, or lawfully upon any private property.

(Ord. No. 3498, 11-7-23)

(a) Any domestic animal of a species subject to infection by the rabies virus and which has bitten a person shall be quarantined for a period of time as established by Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations Section 2606. The location and manner of the quarantine shall be at the discretion of the chief animal control officer. In the event that no time period for the quarantine is established by the California Code of Regulations, the duration of quarantine shall be set by the chief animal control officer in his or her reasonable discretion.

(b) Any domestic animal of a species subject to infection by the rabies virus and which has been exposed to a known or suspected rabid animal shall be quarantined for a period of time as established by Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations Section 2606. The location and manner of quarantine shall be at the discretion of the chief animal control officer. In the event that no time period for the quarantine is established by the California Code of Regulations, the duration of quarantine shall be set by the chief animal control officer in his or her reasonable discretion.

(c) Any hybrid animal which has been vaccinated against rabies infection shall, for the purposes of administration of this section, be considered unvaccinated unless such vaccine was specifically labeled and approved by the California Department of Public Health for administration to hybrid animals.

(d) Upon the request and consent of the owner or custodian, an animal subject to quarantine under the provisions of this section may be euthanized prior to the conclusion of the quarantine period provided that the animal's remains are submitted for diagnostic testing in a manner consistent with established medical practice for the assessment of rabies infection.

(e) The chief animal control officer or his or her duly authorized agent is hereby empowered to enter upon any private property, including the home or residence where an animal is kept or has strayed, to inspect, and if necessary to seize and impound any animal for the purpose of enforcing this section.

(f) Any person who fails to produce and relinquish upon demand of the division any animal subject to isolation under the terms of this section, disobeys any isolation order issued by the division, or removes from its place of confinement any animal under quarantine without the consent of the division is guilty of a misdemeanor.

(Ord. No. 3498, 11-7-23)

(a) Any person having ownership or custody of an animal demonstrating symptoms indicative and suggestive of rabies infection, or any veterinarian treating such an animal, shall immediately notify the division.

(b) Upon certification by a veterinarian that an animal is demonstrating signs indicative and suggestive of rabies infection, the division may cause the animal to be humanely euthanized and the remains submitted for diagnostic testing in a manner consistent with established medical practice for the assessment of rabies infection.

(Ord. No. 3498, 11-7-23)