Rabies Control Act

The act governs the prevention and control of rabies in domestic animals, requiring that dogs and cats be vaccinated against the disease and setting statewide minimum standards administered by the state health agency. It builds a shared state-and-local framework: counties and municipalities may adopt the act and pass their own ordinances, designate a local rabies control authority, operate local control programs, and register animals, with confidentiality protections for certain vaccination and registry records. It also provides the response machinery for suspected exposure — reporting of rabies cases, restraint and impoundment of animals, quarantine of individual animals and of entire areas, standards and inspections for quarantine and impoundment facilities, and criminal penalties for violations, alongside a liability limitation and an exemption for police service animals.

Editorial summary generated from the text of this act. It is not part of the statute — read the sections below for the operative language.