Whenever a dog, cat or other animal is infected
with rabies or has been bitten by an animal known or suspected to
be infected by rabies, the owner or person in charge of any such animal
or every other person having knowledge thereof shall forthwith notify
the Board. Such notification shall be in writing, signed by the person
making the same, and shall state where the animal or animals so infected
may be found.
Whenever the Board or any officer thereof has
reason to believe or has been notified by the State Department of
Health that there is danger that rabies may spread within the jurisdiction
of the Board, such Board shall serve a notice, in writing, upon all
persons within the jurisdiction of such Board, so far as the same
may be known to the Board or to the executive officer, owning, keeping
or having charge of any dog, cat or other animal, requiring such person
to confine such dog, cat or other animal in such manner as may be
directed by the Board or executive officer. In lieu of the serving
of such written notice on individual animal owners, a notice may be
published in the official newspaper of the Borough. The release or
termination of this notice will be accomplished in the same manner
as originally made.
The owner or other person in charge of any dog,
cat or other animal known to be rabid or known to have been bitten
by an animal known to have been infected by or with rabies shall,
upon notice by the Board to do so, either confine such animal for
a period six months in such a manner as directed and until released
by the Board or the executive officer in writing or put or cause such
animal to be put to death.
Bites, producing visible blood, from any warm-blooded
animal, whether or not such animal has been in contact with a known
case of rabies, shall be reported to the Board by the parent, physician
or individual having knowledge of the biting. The owner or person
in charge of such animal shall confine the animal for a period of
10 days if the animal is normal in appearance and health.
No person shall refuse, obstruct or interfere
with representatives of the Board in making such examinations.
Any dog which has attacked or bitten any human
being on three different occasions within any twelve-month period
or which habitually attacks other dogs or domestic animals is hereby
defined to be a vicious dog. In such case, the Health Officer shall
report the facts to the Municipal Judge of the Borough, who shall
thereupon cause the owner or person harboring such dog to appear before
said Municipal Judge at the time set for such hearing and shall inquire
into the facts and give all interested persons an opportunity to be
heard under oath and to be represented by counsel, and the Municipal
Judge shall decide whether such dog complained of is a vicious dog,
as defined by this section. Notice of such decision shall be given
to the owner or person harboring such dog. No dog which has been so
determined to be a vicious dog shall be permitted to run at large
or be upon any street or public place in the Borough, except while
securely muzzled and under leash, and the owner or person harboring
any such vicious dog who shall suffer or permit such dog to run at
large or be upon any street or public place in the Borough while not
securely muzzled and under leash shall be guilty of a violation of
this chapter.
