2020 New York Laws
PBH - Public Health
Article 21 - Control of Acute Communicable Diseases
Title 4 - Rabies.
2140 - Definitions.

§ 2140. Definitions. For the purpose of this title:
  1.  "Actively  immunized" shall mean that the animal has been injected
with a rabies vaccine suitable  to  the  species  and  which  meets  the
standards  prescribed by the United States department of agriculture for
interstate  sale  and  which   was   administered   according   to   the
manufacturer's  instructions  under  the  direction  of  a duly licensed
veterinarian not later than the expiration date on the  package.  Active
immunization  shall begin fourteen days following primary vaccination or
immediately following a booster vaccination, and continue for the period
stated in the manufacturer's instructions.
  2. "County" shall mean a county of the state other than those  in  the
city of New York.
  3. "County health authority" shall mean the county health agency.
  4.  "Domestic  livestock"  includes  cattle,  goats,  horses, donkeys,
mules, sheep, and swine.
  5. "Certificate of immunization" shall mean a signed statement  issued
by  the  veterinarian  containing  the  following  information: name and
address of the owner, date or dates  of  vaccination,  type  of  vaccine
administered   and   duration   of   immunity,   amount  and  manner  of
administration, name of manufacturer of the vaccine, and the lot  number
and  expiration date of the vaccine. The certificate of immunization for
domestic  livestock  may  include  multiple  animals.  The   system   of
identification applicable to the livestock is to be used.
  6.  "Owner" shall mean any person keeping, harboring, or having charge
or control of, or permitting any dog,  cat  or  domesticated  ferret  to
remain  on  or  be  lodged  or  fed within such person's house, yard, or
premises.    This  term  shall  not  apply  to  veterinarians  or  other
facilities  temporarily  maintaining  on  their  premises  dogs, cats or
domesticated ferrets owned by others for periods of no  more  than  four
months  or  to  the  owner  or occupant of property inhabited by a feral
animal.
  7. "Confinement and observation" refers to the conditions under  which
apparently  healthy  dogs,  cats,  domesticated  ferrets,  and  domestic
livestock,  which  are  not  exhibiting  symptoms  of  rabies,  must  be
maintained  to determine rabies status if such an animal has potentially
exposed a person to rabies, and the owner wishes  to  avoid  euthanizing
and  testing the animal. If the county health authority does not approve
home confinement, the ten day confinement and  observation  period  must
take  place,  at  owner's expense, at an appropriate facility such as an
animal shelter, veterinarian's office, kennel or farm.  The  confinement
must  include  (i) provisions to prevent escape of the animal during the
confinement period and (ii)  requirements  that  the  owner  notify  the
public health authority immediately if the animal becomes ill at anytime
during   confinement,  and  (iii)  verification  by  the  county  health
authority or their designee at the end of the ten day  period  that  the
animal  is  healthy.  If  a  police  work dog bites an individual in the
course of such dog's official duty the police department may apply for a
waiver from confinement from the local department of health. As part  of
such  application  for a waiver, the police department shall provide the
local health department with records of such dog's past vaccination  for
rabies and proof that such dog's rabies vaccinations are up-to-date.
  8.  "Quarantine"  refers  to  a  six  month  period of restriction for
animals which are not actively immunized against rabies  and  have  been
exposed  to  a  potentially  rabid animal, in accordance with applicable
regulations of the department. The quarantine must include provisions to
prevent escape of  the  animal  during  the  quarantine  period  and  to
minimize  contacts  with  humans and other animals, and these provisions

must be verified by the county health authority during and at the end of
the six month period.
  9.  "Local  residence",  under  the  conditions hereinafter specified,
shall mean any person who has his or her  primary  residence,  secondary
residence,  vacation  home or school within a county of the state of New
York shall be deemed to have local residence in such county.
  10. "Qualification on residence." Local residence  shall  not  include
residence:
  (a) as an inmate of any state or federal prison, or
  (b) on a military reservation.
  11.  "Initial  treatment  after  human  exposure to rabies" shall mean
administration of the first postexposure dose  of  rabies  vaccine  and,
when necessary, administration of rabies immune globulin.
  12. "Animal control officer" shall mean one or more persons designated
by  the  county  health  authority  as  having responsibility for animal
control issues in the county. This responsibility may  be  delegated  to
others  such  as  cities  and  towns,  law  enforcement agencies, animal
shelters, or private nuisance control officers.
  13. "Feral animal" shall mean any cat, dog or ferret that is  born  in
the  wild  and  is not socialized, is the offspring of an owned or feral
cat, dog or ferret and is not socialized, or is a  formerly  owned  cat,
dog or ferret that has been abandoned and is no longer socialized.