The owner or person in charge of any dog, who knows that such dog has been bitten by a rabid dog or has knowledge of such facts that if followed up would disclose the facts that such dog has been bitten by or exposed to a rabid dog, if such dog becomes a rabid dog and bites any person, stock, hogs or cattle shall be liable to twice the damages sustained by the person injured, including appropriate medical treatment, such damages to be recovered in any court of competent jurisdiction.
As used in this chapter, the following words and phrases shall have the following meanings respectively ascribed to them unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
(1) CANINE CORPS DOGS. Those members of the canine family maintained by governmental agencies for exclusive use in official duties assigned to those agencies. Seeing eye dogs shall be included within the meaning of this definition.
(2) CAT. All members of the domesticated feline (Felis catus) family three months of age or older.
(3) DOG. All members of the domesticated canine (Canis familiaris) family three months of age or older.
(4) HAS BEEN EXPOSED. Seized with the teeth or claws, so that the skin of the person or animal seized has been nipped or gripped, or has been wounded or pierced and includes suspected or confirmed contact of saliva with a break or abrasion of the skin or with any mucous membrane, as determined by a licensed physician.
(5) HEALTH OFFICER. A county health officer as defined in Section 22-3-2.
(6) IMMUNIZATION AGAINST RABIES. The injection, in a manner approved by the State Health Officer and the State Veterinarian, of antirabies vaccine approved by the State Health Officer and the State Veterinarian. The administration of antirabies vaccine to species other than those for which reliable immunization data is available shall be a violation of this chapter.
(7) IMPOUNDING OFFICER. An agent of a county or municipality vested with impounding authority for animals covered under this chapter.
(8) OWNER. Any person having a right of property in the animal, or who keeps or harbors the animal, or who has it in his care, or acts as its custodian, or who permits the animal to remain on or about any premises occupied by him.
(9) PERSON. Individuals, firms, partnerships, and associations.
(10) QUARANTINE FOR RABIES OBSERVATION. Confinement under the direct care, custody, control, and supervision of a licensed veterinarian for a period of 10 days subsequent to the date of the exposure, or as otherwise directed by the State Health Officer.
(11) RABIES OFFICER. A licensed veterinarian as defined in Section 34-29-61, duly appointed by the county board of health and approved by the State Health Officer and State Veterinarian.
(a) Every owner of a dog or cat required to be immunized for rabies as defined in this chapter, shall cause said dog or cat to be immunized by the rabies officer, his authorized representative, or any duly licensed veterinarian, when said animal reaches three months of age and annually thereafter. Evidence of such immunization shall consist of a printed certificate furnished in triplicate by the Alabama Department of Public Health, upon which shall be legibly inscribed: a description of the dog or cat; its age, color, sex, breed, and tattoo identification, if any; the name and address of the owner; the lot number and type of vaccine used (modified live virus, inactivated virus); the name of the manufacturer and amount of vaccine injected; and a serially numbered tag bearing the same number and year as that of the certificate. The certificate shall be dated and signed by the person authorized to administer the vaccine. Certificates not in keeping with the provisions of this section, or certificates issued by those persons unauthorized to administer rabies vaccine, shall not be valid. The original copy of the certificate prescribed herein shall be delivered to the owner of the dog or cat immunized, one copy to the local health department, and one copy to be retained by the rabies officer. The certificate of immunization shall be valid for a period of one year for all dogs and cats required to be immunized under this chapter. Immunization certificates may be destroyed three years after date of issuance.
(b) It shall be unlawful and in violation of the provisions of this chapter for any person to import, receive, sell, offer for sale, barter, or exchange animal antirabies vaccine, other than antirabies vaccine intended for human use, to anyone except a duly licensed veterinarian.
The rabies officer may charge for such immunization a sum established by a committee consisting of the State Health Officer, the State Veterinarian, and the president of the Alabama Veterinary Medical Association, and approved by the State Board of Health prior to the first day of January each year. The committee shall consider all cost factors in administering the vaccine as the economy dictates, including but not limited to the current prices of vaccines and tags.
Coincident with the issuance of the certificate of immunization, the rabies officer, his authorized representative, or any duly licensed veterinarian, who provided the certificate shall furnish a serially numbered tag bearing the same number and year as that of the certificate, which tag shall at all times be attached to a collar or harness worn by the dog or cat for which the certificate and tag have been issued.
In the event of tag loss when the same has been legally issued, every replacement thereof shall be upon such terms as may be agreed upon with the rabies officer or veterinarian by whom the animal has been immunized. In such instance, a new certificate marked "duplicate" may be issued setting forth the number of the new tag and the certificate issued and distributed according to Section 3-7A-2.
The owner of any dog or cat found not wearing the evidence of current immunization as provided herein or for which no certificate of current immunization can be produced, and which is apprehended by an officer or other person charged with the enforcement of this chapter, shall forthwith be subject to a penalty to be imposed by the rabies officer not to exceed an amount equal to twice the state approved charge for immunization, in addition to the fee heretofore prescribed for immunization. When collected, the said penalty shall accrue to the rabies officer or his agent, except in the case of a rabies officer employed full-time on salary, in which case the penalty shall accrue to the employing agency or agencies.
All dogs and cats which have been impounded for lack of rabies immunization in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, due notice of which shall have been given to the owner as provided in Section 3-7A-7, may be humanely destroyed and disposed of when not redeemed by the owner within seven days. In case the owner of an impounded dog or cat desires to make redemption thereof, he may do so on the following condition: He shall pay for the immunization of the animal and the penalty as prescribed in Section 3-7A-6 if certificate of current immunization cannot be produced, and in addition, pay for the board of the animal for the period for which it was impounded. The amount paid for the board of the dog or cat shall accrue to the credit of the city or county, depending upon the jurisdiction of the pound in which the animal was confined. At his discretion, the said impounding officer may sell any dog or cat not redeemed or claimed or otherwise disposed of, to any purchaser desiring the said animal, which said purchaser must comply with all the provisions of this chapter.