Section 3-7A-9

Quarantine of dog or cat which bites human being; destruction of animal and examination of head; certain acts of or omissions by owner unlawful; delivery of quarantine instructions to owner; report of results; canine corps and seeing eye dogs.

(a) Whenever the rabies officer or the health officer shall receive information that a human being has been bitten or exposed by a dog or cat required to be immunized against rabies, the health officer or his authorized agent shall cause said dog or cat to be placed in quarantine under the direct supervision of a duly licensed veterinarian for rabies observation as prescribed in Section 3-7A-1. It shall be unlawful for any person having knowledge that a human being has been bitten or exposed by a dog or cat to fail to notify one or more of the aforementioned officers.

(b) When said dog or cat is unowned, as determined by the rabies officer or the health officer after reasonable investigation, or where the owner of a dog or cat agrees in writing, or when ordered by the health officer, the animal shall be humanely destroyed immediately after the exposure and the head shall be submitted for rabies examination to the state health department laboratory.

(c) The period of quarantine for animals other than domesticated dogs and cats which have bitten or exposed a human being shall be determined by the Alabama Department of Public Health upon consultation with the U.S. Public Health Service. Provided, however, for those animal species where reliable epidemiologic data are lacking regarding duration of rabies virus secretion from the salivary glands, said animals shall be humanely destroyed and the head submitted for rabies examination to the state health department laboratory.

(d) It shall be a violation of this chapter for the owner of such animal to refuse to comply with the lawful order of the health officer in any particular case. It is unlawful for the owner to sell, give away, transfer to another location or otherwise dispose of any such animal that is known to have bitten or exposed a human being until it is released from quarantine by the rabies officer, duly licensed veterinarian or by the appropriate health officer.

(e) Instructions for the quarantine of the offending animal shall be delivered in person or by telephone to the owner by the health officer or his authorized agent. If such instructions cannot be delivered in such manner, they shall be mailed by regular mail, postage prepaid and addressed to the owner of the animal. The affidavit or testimony of the health officer or his authorized agent, who delivers or mails such instructions, shall be prima facie evidence of the receipt of such instructions by the owner of the animal. Any expenses incurred in the quarantine of the offending animal under this section and Section 3-7A-8 shall be borne by the owner.

(f) The veterinarian under whose care the offending animal has been committed for quarantine shall promptly report the results of his observation of said animal to the attending physician of the human being bitten or exposed and the appropriate health officer.

(g) Canine corps dogs and seeing eye dogs shall be exempt from the quarantine period where such exposure occurs in the line of duty and evidence of proper immunization against rabies is presented, but shall be examined immediately at the end of 10 days by a licensed veterinarian, who shall report the results of his examination to the appropriate health officer as previously authorized.

(Acts 1990, No. 90-530, p. 816, §9.)