§ 6.04.070. Animal bites.

1.

Any person knowing that an animal or person has been bitten by any domestic animal shall immediately notify Porter County Animal Control, and/or any other law enforcement agency.

2.

The owner or person in custodial control of any animal which has bitten another animal or person shall on demand of the Porter County Animal Control and/or Porter County Animal Shelter Director surrender such animal to the Porter County Animal Control and/or Porter County Animal Shelter Director for rabies observation for minimum of ten days.

3.

In the event home confinement is allowed, the owner shall be required to report animal control the health status of the biting animal on the tenth day of observation. If quarantined animal is not vaccinated against rabies, the owner shall furnish evidence to the Porter County Animal Control of a veterinary examination for the biting animal on the tenth day of observation, shall obtain and provide proof of current rabies vaccinations at, and not before, that time as well as bear any costs incurred thereby.

4.

If such biting animal is determined to be infected with rabies after examination by a licensed veterinarian, it shall be euthanized at the cost of the owner.

5.

If the biting animal shows signs of rabies or acts in a manner which would lead a person to believe the animal may have rabies, the owner, treating veterinarian or animal control shall immediately notify, by telephone or in person, the person bitten or the physician attending the person bitten and the responsible health agencies as soon as reasonably possible.

6.

If such biting animal is not found to be infected with rabies at the expiration of the period for observation of rabies, and if there is no additional reason in the judgment of the Porter County Animal Control and/or the Porter County Animal Shelter Director to continue impoundment, the animal may be returned to the owner, upon payment of the costs of the keep of such animal, including any veterinary service fees incurred.

7.

No person owning, possessing, keeping, harboring or having custody of any animal that has bitten any other animal or person shall sell, give away, or permit such biting animal to be taken beyond the corporate limits of Porter County, Indiana, or otherwise dispose of such biting animal until it has been released by the official imposing the quarantine.

8.

In all cases where an animal has bitten another animal or a person, it shall be the duty of the Porter County Health Department to record the requisite information detailing the facts and circumstances of the bite in accord with preparing an Official Indiana Animal Bites Report (State Form 14072 or its equivalent) and enforcing quarantine following the bite incident. Members of the Porter County Animal Control, the Porter County Sheriff's Department or any other law enforcement agency, may act as the health department's designee when enforcing this provision.

9.

In the event that an animal that has bitten a person or another animal dies, is accidentally killed, or is humanely euthanized before the tenth day following the bite, the animal shall be forwarded to the Indiana State Board of Health Laboratory for examination in a manner as is required by the Indiana State Board of Health.

10.

The Porter County Animal Control Officers, the Porter County Sheriff's Department, and any other law enforcement agent, may capture and impound a biting animal or an animal suspected of being rabid in accord with paragraphs one (1) through (9) above of this section.

11.

Violations of this section of the animal control ordinances shall be fined as follows:

(A)

First offense: .....$150.00

(B)

Second and subsequent offenses: .....$300.00

(Ord. No. 15-06, 5-19-2015)