§ 6-8. Handling of biting animals; responsibility for reporting animal bites.

(a)

An unlicensed dog or unvaccinated dog or any vaccinated or unvaccinated cat that bites any person shall be confined and quarantined in a county pound or, upon request of and at the expense of the owner, at a veterinary hospital for a period of not less than seven (7) days. A dog properly licensed and vaccinated pursuant to this chapter, that bites any person, may be confined and quarantined at the home of the owner or wherever the dog is harbored and maintained with the consent of and in a manner prescribed by the county enforcement agent.

(b)

Any animal other than a dog or cat that bites any person shall be confined and quarantined in a county pound or, upon the request of and at the expense of the owner, at a veterinary hospital for a period of not less than fourteen (14) days, provided that livestock shall be confined and quarantined for the fourteen-day period in a manner regulated by the livestock board. If the animal is a caged rodent, it may be confined and quarantined at the home of the owner or where it is harbored or maintained, for the required period of time, with the consent of and in a manner prescribed by the county enforcement agent.

(c)

Any wild animal which bites any person may be killed and submitted to the county enforcement agent or his deputies for transmission to an appropriate diagnostic laboratory.

(d)

Whenever an animal bites any person, the incident shall be reported to the county enforcement agent immediately by any person having direct knowledge.

(e)

Any animal confined and quarantined pursuant to this section may be destroyed by the enforcement agent prior to the termination of the minimum confinement period for laboratory examination for rabies if:

(1)

Such animal shows clear clinical signs of rabies.

(2)

The owner of such animal consents to its destruction. Any animal subject to licensing under this chapter found without a tag identifying its owner shall be deemed unowned.

(f)

Any animal subject to licensing under this chapter found without a tag identifying its owner shall be deemed unowned.

(Code 1963, § 5-7; Ord. No. 1045, § 2, 10-10-78; Ord. No. 1453, § 3, 10-14-86; Ord. No. 1541, § 6, 5-24-88)

State law reference

Animal bites, A.R.S. § 24-372.