NY Pub Health L § 2140 (2021)
2021 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 incarcerated individual 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.