§ 4-83. Animals which have bitten persons.

(a)

Should a dog, cat or any other animal bite a person or be reported to have bitten a person within the limits of the parish, it shall be the duty of the owner, or the person having the same in his possession or under his control, immediately to notify the parish health unit, the department or their authorized agents, or the animal control officer, and surrender such dog, cat or animal to any representative of the parish health unit, the department or the animal control officer, who is authorized and empowered to enter the premises in order to make any inspection or examination of such dog, cat or animal as may be deemed necessary. It shall be the duty of the parish sanitarian, the department and the humane officer to impound or cause to be impounded any such dog, cat or animal for a period of ten days for observation either in the hospital facilities of a licensed veterinarian or at the animal shelter or require such animal to be confined securely for a period of ten days by the person owning the same or having possession thereof in such manner and on such premises as may be designated by the sanitarian, the director, animal control officer, or any of their authorized representatives. Home confinement shall be allowed only if the following conditions are met:

(1)

Current vaccination with an approved rabies vaccine;

(2)

Specific approval of the director or of the medical director of the parish health unit; and

(3)

Specific written approval of the exposed party or guardian and agreement to the confinement conditions at home by the animal owner. Such confinement shall include, but not be limited to the confinement of the suspect animal in an escapeproof caged enclosure within which no further bites can occur.

(b)

If the parish sanitarian, in conjunction with the animal warden determines that such animal may be confined under the control or custody of the owner or person having control over it, the owner or person shall notify the parish sanitarian or department immediately if the animal shows any symptoms of sickness or abnormal behavior, or escapes, and if such animal dies during confinement, such person having custody thereof shall surrender the carcass to the parish sanitarian or the department.

(c)

Notwithstanding the provisions for confinement, the director, animal control officer or any of their authorized representatives, or the parish sanitarian may order the destruction of such animal and send its head to the bureau of laboratories of the state department of health for a rabies laboratory test whenever deemed necessary for the protection of the bite victim.

(d)

Should any animal undergoing the ten days' observation for having bitten a person show indication of rabies, it shall be the duty of the parish animal warden to destroy such animal after confirming diagnosis by a licensed veterinarian. The parish animal warden shall send the head of any such animal, and also the head of any animal which died during the rabies quarantine, to the bureau of laboratories of the state department of health for a rabies laboratory test.

(e)

It shall be the duty of every veterinarian having an animal quarantined for a bite incident to submit a report to the parish animal warden as to the condition of the quarantined animal on the initial day of observation and the tenth day immediately following the date of the bite incident.

(f)

Any animal impounded or confined for rabies quarantine shall be released upon completion of the ten days' observation period only upon authorization of the parish animal control officer. Any such animal, if a dog or cat, must have a valid vaccination tag before it may be released or it must be vaccinated after completion of the rabies quarantine prior to being released. Any animal so impounded or confined for rabies shall not be released until it has been examined by and issued a certificate of health from a state-licensed veterinarian.

(Ord. No. 1001, §§ 3.210—3.214, 11-17-86)