South Carolina General Assembly
108th Session, 1989-1990

Bill 3453

                    Current Status

Bill Number:               3453
Ratification Number:       678
Act Number                 553
Introducing Body:          House
Subject:                   Rabies control
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(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

(A553, R678, H3453)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 47-5-100, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO CONFINEMENT, EXAMINATION, OR DESTRUCTION OF BITING OR ATTACKING ANIMALS FOR PURPOSES OF RABIES CONTROL, SO AS TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL TO SERVE NOTICE ON THE OWNER OF A PET OTHER THAN A CAT OR DOG WHICH HAS ATTACKED OR BITTEN A PERSON REQUIRING THE OWNER TO HAVE THE PET EUTHANIZED AND THE BRAIN SUBMITTED FOR RABIES EXAMINATION OR QUARANTINE THE ANIMAL AS DIRECTED BY THE DEPARTMENT.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

Rabies control

SECTION 1. Section 47-5-100 of the 1976 Code, as amended by Act 547 of 1988, is further amended to read:

"Section 47-5-100. The county health department shall serve notice upon the owner of a dog or cat which has attacked or bitten a person to confine the animal at the expense of the owner upon his premises or at a county pound or other place designated in the notice for at least ten days after the animal has attacked or bitten a person. The licensed veterinarian, the rabies control officer, or his assistants must be permitted by the owner of the pet or other animal which has attacked or bitten a person to examine the animal at any time, and daily if desired, within the ten-day period of confinement, to determine if the animal shows symptoms of rabies. No person may obstruct or interfere with the rabies control officer or his assistants in making the examination. The removal of the head of an animal suspected of having rabies must be performed by a licensed veterinarian, but the county health department may provide for the removal of the head if there is no veterinarian practicing within the county where the suspected animal is located or if no veterinarian located within the county will remove the head. The Department of Health and Environmental Control shall serve notice upon the owner of an animal other than a dog or cat when the department has knowledge that the animal has attacked or bitten a person. The notice must instruct the owner to have the animal immediately euthanized and have the brain submitted for rabies examination or to have the animal quarantined under conditions specified by the department. The owner shall comply immediately with the instructions in the notice."

Time effective

SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

Approved the 6th day of June, 1990.