TITLE V:
PUBLIC ORDER, SAFETY, AND HEALTH
CHAPTER 6
RABIES CONTROL
5-6-1 Purpose
5-6-2 Duty to Report
5-6-3 Confinement
5-6-1 PURPOSE. The purpose of this Chapter is to establish
specific procedures and requirements to enable the Lee County Board of
Health to effectively carry out functions relating to rabies control which
are imposed upon it by Iowa Code Chapter 351, Code of Iowa. This Chapter is intended to be consistent
with the purposes and procedures of Chapter 351, Code of Iowa.
5-6-2 DUTY
TO REPORT. It shall be the duty of
the owner of any dog, cat or other animal which has bitten or attacked a
person, or any person having knowledge of such bite or attack, to report
this act to the Health Department or a law enforcement official. Any law enforcement official receiving
such information shall report it immediately to the Health Department. To the extent such matters are not
privileged, it shall be the duty of physicians and veterinarians to report
to the Lee County Health Department the existence of any animal known or
suspected to be suffering from rabies.
5-6-3 CONFINEMENT.
1. When the Lee
County Health Department receives information that a person has been bitten
by an animal or that an animal is suspected of having rabies, it shall
order the owner to confine the animal in the manner it directs for 10
days. If the owner fails to confine
such animal in the manner directed, the animal shall be apprehended and
impounded. At the end of the
observation period, if the owner pays the costs of impoundment, the Health
Officer may return the animal to its owner. Otherwise, the animal shall be humanely destroyed.
2. If the animal
involved is a dog or cat, with no apparent owner, the Health Officer shall
have the animal confined for rabies observation.
3. When these
standard procedures will threaten the health of a victim of animal attack,
the Health officer may order destruction and laboratory examination of an
owned animal. However, this can
only be ordered on request of the victim's physician and advice of Iowa
State Department of Health personnel, and then only if the victim or their
parent or guardian requests such action and agrees to hold harmless and
indemnify Lee County for any damage caused by said action.
4. The owner of
any animal reasonably subjected to the foregoing procedures shall pay all
costs resulting from apprehension, confinement, examination and/or
destruction. Any person directed to
pay under this paragraph shall, if demand is made in writing within thirty
(30) days of written notification by the County of damage assessed, be
entitled to a hearing to determine liability and damages under this Ordinance.
5. If at any time
the Code of Iowa is amended to specify a shorter time period than 10 days
for rabies observation, the provision of this ordinance shall automatically
change to become consistent with that Code.
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