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HomeMy WebLinkAboutORD 85-77 Tf ORDINANCE NO. 25"_ 7;7 ENTITLED AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 5 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF BEAUMONT TO PROVIDE FOR THE IMMEDIATE DELIVERY FOR OBSERVATION OF ANIMALS IN BITE CASES TO LOCAL VETERINARY HOSPITALS; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY, PROVIDING FOR REPEAL AND PROVIDING A PENALTY. BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY OF BEAUMONT: Section 1 . That Chapter 5 , Section 5-30 of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Beaumont be amended to read as follows: Section 5-30: The owner of any animal which has bitten, scratched or attacked a person, dog or other animal shall be notified of the incident and shall cause such animal to be immediately held under observation at the owner' s expense for a period not less than ten ( 10) days in the city animal shelter or a veterinary hospital in this city operated by a duly licensed veterinarian. A fee shall be charged for each day of confinement at the animal shelter when an animal is under observation in bite cases. This boarding fee shall be assessed in accordance with Section 13-16 of the Code of Ordinances. Refusal or failure to produce said dog or other animal constitutes a violation of this section and each day of such refusal or failure shall constitute a separate individual violation. At no time shall an animal which is to be confined be allowed to be quarantined at home. No such animal shall be released from the ten ( 10) days _ observation requirement unless a licensed veterinarian certifies that such animal does not have rabies. Any person who is the keeper or has custody and control of the animal shall be deemed the owner for the purposes of this section. If it is determined by a veterinarian that an animal shows the clinical signs of the disease of rabies, the local health authority shall humanely destroy the animal. If the animal dies or is destroyed while in quarantine, the local health authority shall remove the head or brain of the animal and submit it to the nearest Texas Department of Health laboratory for testing . If a veterinarian determines that a quarantined animal does not show the clinical signs of rabies, the local health authority shall release it to the owner following the quarantine period if ( 1 ) the owner has an unexpired rabies vaccination certificate for the animal or ( 2) the animal is vaccinated against rabies by a licensed veterinarian at the owner' s expense. The owner of an animal that is quarantined under this act shall pay to the local health authority the reasonable costs of the quarantine and disposition of the animal as set out herein and the local health authority may bring suit to collect those costs. The local health authority shall destroy an animal that the owner or custodian does not take possession of on or before the third day following the final day of the quarantine. Section 2 . That if any section, subsection, sentence, clause or phrase of this ordinance, or the application of same to a particular set of persons or circumstances, should for any reason be held to be invalid, such invalidity shall not affect the remaining portions of this ordinance, and to such end the various portions and provisions of this ordinance are declared to be severable. Section 3 . That all ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict herewith are repealed to the extent of the conflict only. Section 4 . That any person who violates any provision of this ordinance shall, upon conviction, be punished as provided in Section 1-8 of the Code of Ordinances of Beaumont, Texas. 2 - PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL of the City of Beaumont this the day of 1985. Mayor - 3 -