South Carolina General Assembly
107th Session, 1987-1988

Bill 3533

                    Current Status

Bill Number:               3533
Ratification Number:       624
Act Number                 547
Introducing Body:          House
Subject:                   Animals; rabies; removal of head
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(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

(A547, R624, H3533)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 47-5-100, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO RABIES CONTROL AND THE CONFINEMENT, EXAMINATION, OR DESTRUCTION OF A BITING OR ATTACKING ANIMAL, SO AS TO DELETE CERTAIN PROVISIONS AND TO PROVIDE THAT THE REMOVAL OF THE HEAD OF AN ANIMAL SUSPECTED OF HAVING RABIES MUST BE PERFORMED BY A LICENSED VETERINARIAN BUT THAT THE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT SHALL 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.

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

Animals; rabies; removal of head

SECTION 1. Section 47-5-100 of the 1976 Code is 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 graduate 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 shall 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 shall 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."

Time effective

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