On June 20, 2014, the Board approved a motion under my sponsorship that directed the Office of the County Attorney to draft an ordinance requiring licensed veterinarians to make available Broward County rabies registration tags for sale in their offices at the time of rabies vaccine administration to dogs and cats. The stated purposes of the amendment included providing quick access to pet owner information and rabies vaccination status in the event of a bite or scratch incident with an animal and increasing regulatory compliance with existing County laws requiring all persons who own or keep a dog or cat in Broward County to obtain a rabies registration tag. After consultation with numerous licensed veterinarians, members of the Animal Care and Adoption Advisory Committee, and Broward County Animal Care and Adoption staff, it appears that a preferable approach to achieving the above-referenced purposes is to provide for local enforcement of an existing State of Florida requirement for the provision of certificates of rabies registration to Broward County, including timeframes in which to do so, and establish timeframes for pet owners to obtain rabies registration tags.
Section 828.30, Florida Statutes, requires licensed veterinarians who administer rabies vaccines to provide a rabies vaccination certificate to the animal's owner and the local animal control authority. Additionally, Section 4-11 of the Broward County Code of Ordinances requires any person who keeps a dog or cat in Broward County to register the animal with Broward County and obtain a rabies registration tag. Neither provision, however, establishes a timeframe in which the rabies registration tag must be purchased or when a veterinarian administering a rabies vaccine must provide completed rabies certificates to the Division.
The purpose of this agenda item is to amend the original direction provided to the Office of the County Attorney so that an ordinance will be drafted providing for local enforcement of the rabies registration certificate provisions contained in Section 828.30, Florida Statutes, including a timeframe for compliance, and establishing a timeframe after a rabies vaccination is administered within which a pet owner must obtain a rabies registration tag.
The proposed Ordinance will assist in achieving compliance with the State and local rabies registration requirements.
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