§ 800-104. ISOLATION OF RABID ANIMALS OR CLINICALLY SUSPECTED RABID ANIMALS

Any rabid animal, clinically suspected rabid animal, or biting animal shall be isolated in strict confinement as follows:

(a)

In the Sutter County Animal Shelter, a veterinary hospital, or other adequate facility, under proper care and under the observation of a licensed veterinarian, in a manner approved by the Health Officer, and shall not be killed or released for at least ten days after the onset of symptoms suggestive of rabies.

(b)

At the discretion of the Health Officer, in a place and manner approved by the Health Officer and observed for at least 14 days (or ten days for dogs and cats) after the day of infliction of the bite. As an alternative to the ten-day isolation of dogs and cats, dogs or cats which have been isolated in strict confinement in a veterinary hospital or other adequate facility, in a manner approved by the Health Officer, under proper care and under observation of a licensed veterinarian may be released from isolation by the Health Officer after five days of veterinary observation if upon conducting a thorough physical examination on the fifth day or more after the infliction of the bite, the observing veterinarian certifies that there are no clinical signs or symptoms of any disease. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions, the Health Officer may authorize, with the permission of the owner and other legal requirements permitting, the euthanasia of a biting animal for the purpose of laboratory examination for rabies using the florescent rabies antibody (FRA) test in an approved public health laboratory.