eLaws | eCases | Florida State | Florida Administrative Code | Florida Courts | Counties & Cities of Florida | Code of Federal Regulations | United States Code |
 Baldwin
 Code of Ordinances
 Chapter 4. ANIMALS

  § 4-5. Animal suspected of having rabies; animal biting person or animal.  

Latest version.

  • (a)

    Impoundment. If any animal is suspected of having rabies, or if any animal bites any person or another animal, all persons having knowledge of such condition or event shall notify the town and the town shall in turn notify the animal control office; and such animal shall be promptly surrendered to an animal control officer of the City of Jacksonville. The infected animal shall be impounded by and kept under the care of the animal control office for observation for ten (10) days or such additional period of time as may be deemed necessary. The owner shall bear the entire cost of the impoundment of the animal.

    (b)

    Release to owner for confinement. The animal control officers are hereby authorized to release to the custody of the owner, for confinement, any animal, except as provided in this section, which has bitten a person or another animal and likewise to so release a bitten animal if:

    (1)

    All animals involved have been inoculated against rabies within the preceding twelve (12) months;

    (2)

    All persons involved who may be exposed to rabies and all owners of animals involved that may be exposed to rabies, or a parent if such person is a minor, consent in writing to the release.

    The release may be revoked by the animal control officer if he determines that the owner has not properly confined a released animal.

    (c)

    Destruction of rabid animal. If a suspected animal or a bitten animal develops symptoms of rabies as determined by a veterinarian, it shall be destroyed at the direction of the animal control office or a designated licensed veterinarian. No animal in the custody of the animal control division which has developed a symptom of rabies may be redeemed or released except upon written instruction of the animal control officer following approval by a designated licensed veterinarian. If such a suspected or bitten animal dies or is destroyed pursuant to this section during the observation period, the person responsible for the destruction, or the animal control officer, shall cause the head of the animal to be detached without mutilation and submitted to a laboratory with the state department of health and rehabilitative services.

(Code 1964, § 4-13; Ord. No. 6-78, § 6, 6-27-78; Ord. No. 2007-12, § 4, 10-9-07)