Broward County Commission Regular Meeting

MOTION TO CONSIDER enactment of an Ordinance, the title of which is as follows:
 
AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF BROWARD COUNTY, FLORIDA, PERTAINING TO RABIES REGISTRATION; AMENDING SECTIONS 4-10 AND 4-11 OF THE BROWARD COUNTY CODE OF ORDINANCES ("CODE"), ESTABLISHING TIMEFRAMES FOR LICENSED VETERINARIANS TO REMIT RABIES VACCINATION CERTIFICATES TO BROWARD COUNTY AND FOR PET OWNERS TO OBTAIN RABIES REGISTRATION TAGS; AND PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY, INCLUSION IN THE CODE, AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

 
(Sponsored by Commissioner Chip LaMarca and Mayor Beam Furr)
 

(Per the Tuesday Morning Memorandum, Commissioner Rich requested being added as a co-sponsor to this item.)

ACTION:  (T-12:10 PM)  Filed proof of publication and enacted the Ordinance to become effective as provided by law.  (Refer to minutes for full discussion.)  Commissioner Sharief requested to be added as a co-sponsor to this item.
 
VOTE: 8-0.  Commissioner Geller appeared telephonically and was inaudible during the vote.

A Resolution directing the County Administrator to publish notice of public hearing to consider enactment of the Ordinance was adopted by the Board of County Commissioners at its meeting of November 7, 2017.

Amends the Code to implement statutory requirements for the submission by veterinarians of rabies vaccination certificates to Broward County and provides a timeframe for dog and cat owners to obtain rabies registration tags after vaccination of their animal(s).

Section 828.30, Florida Statutes, requires licensed veterinarians to provide an animal's owner and the animal control authority with a rabies vaccination certificate after the veterinarian administers a rabies vaccination to a dog or cat. Section 4-11 of the Broward County Code of Ordinances ("Code") requires owners of dogs or cats to maintain current rabies registration tags for their animal(s). The proposed Ordinance establishes timeframes for the submission of rabies vaccination certificates to the Broward County Animal Care and Adoption Division ("Division") and for dog and cat owners to obtain a rabies registration tag after their animal has been vaccinated. 
 
Under the proposed Ordinance, veterinarians must submit either electronic copies or the physical vaccination certificates to the Division on a monthly basis. The vaccination certificates must be sent to the Division no later than the tenth (10th) day of the month for vaccinations administered during the previous month.
 
Section 4-11 of the Code currently requires owners of dogs and cats of four months of age or older to register their dog(s) and cat(s) with the Division and to obtain and maintain a current rabies registration tag for their animal(s). The proposed Ordinance would require the rabies registration tag to be obtained within 30 days after the animal has been vaccinated against rabies. Rabies registration tags may be purchased from veterinarians providing services in Broward County, authorized representatives, or the Division.
 
The proposed Ordinance incorporates amendments that were requested by the Animal Care Advisory Committee at its meeting of November 3, 2017, and approved for incorporation into the Ordinance by the Board of County Commissioners at its meeting of November 7, 2017.

Maite Azcoitia, Deputy County Attorney, (954) 357-7600