South Carolina § 47-5-100 - Quarantine, examination, and destruction of biting or attacking dog, cat, or ferret.

§ 47-5-100. Quarantine, examination, and destruction of biting or attacking dog, cat, or ferret.

The county health department shall serve notice upon the owner of a dog, cat, or ferret which has attacked or bitten a person to quarantine the animal at the expense of the owner upon his premises or at an animal shelter 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 quarantine 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 shall serve notice upon the owner of an animal other than a dog, cat, or ferret 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.

HISTORY: 1962 Code SECTION 6-129; 1952 Code SECTION 6-129; 1950 (46) 2406; 1969 (56) 803; 1971 (57) 301; 1988 Act No. 547, eff May 17, 1988; 1990 Act No. 553, SECTION 1, eff June 6, 1990; 2002 Act No. 343, SECTION 1, eff July 3, 2002.