Soledad Municipal Code Ch. 6.16 Rabies Protection

Whenever the owner or person having the custody or possession of a dog or other animal shall observe or learn that the dog or other animal shows symptoms of rabies, or acts in a manner which would lead to a reasonable suspicion that it may have rabies, or if the dog or other animal bites any person, the owner or person having custody or possession of the dog or other animal shall immediately notify the county director of health services, or his representative, to make an inspection or examination of such dog or other animal, until it is established to the satisfaction of the official that it has or has not rabies.

(Prior code § 3-32)

Whenever it is shown that any dog or other animal has bitten any person, or whenever any dog or other animal has shown symptoms of rabies, or acts in such a manner as to lead the county director of health services to believe that it might have rabies, the owner or person having possession of the dog or other animal shall, upon order of the county director of health services, quarantine it and keep it tied up or confined for a period of ten days, and shall allow the county director of health services, or his representative, to make an inspection or examination thereof at any time during that period. In lieu of such confinement the owner or person having possession of the dog or other animal may have the dog confined in an establishment controlled and supervised by a licensed veterinarian for a period of not less than five days, after which the dog or other animal may be released from the veterinary establishment upon the certification of the veterinary controlling or supervising the establishment that the dog or other animal displays no symptoms whatsoever of rabies, and upon vaccination and licensing under the provisions of this chapter.

(Prior code § 3-33)

If it appears to the county director of health services, or his representative, upon the examination provided by Section 6.16.020, that a dog or other animal has rabies, he may kill and destroy the animal forthwith.

(Prior code § 3-34)

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 kill the animal or quarantine it, and keep it confined or tied up for a period of six months. The county director of health services or his representative has the power, in his discretion, to kill or quarantine the animal so bitten, in case the owner or person having custody or possession thereof fails to do so immediately, or in case the owner or person having the custody or possession thereof is not readily accessible.

(Prior code § 3-35)

Whenever the disease known as rabies is developed in any dog or other animal in the city, the county director of health services is authorized to declare a quarantine in a specified area in the city which shall include the location where the animal so affected with rabies is found and a sufficient area contiguous thereto to safeguard against the spread of the disease in such areas. "Quarantine," for the purpose of this chapter, means the strict confinement, upon the private premises of the owners or an establishment controlled and supervised by a licensed veterinary, under restraint by a chain leash and chain collar or closed cage or paddock, of all animals specified by the quarantine order. Forthwith upon the declaration of any such quarantine by the county director of health services, he shall give notice in writing to the chief animal control officer of the city, who shall cause to be gathered in and promptly destroyed all dogs which they or any of them may find other than those securely confined in such quarantined area as described in this section.

(Prior code § 3-36)