Bill No.: SF0114                  Drafter:  MRW

LSO No.:  09LSO-0542              Effective Date:  7/1/2009

Enrolled Act No.:  SEA0089

Chapter No.:       173

Prime Sponsor:     Senator Martin

Catch Title:       Animal control.

Subject:  Animal control.

Summary/Major Elements:

• Under current law any dog attacking a person in a vicious manner may be impounded and held in quarantine. 

• This bill:
• Extends the provision of attacking a person in a vicious manner from "dog" to "animal", thereby extending this provision to any dog or cat attacking a person in a vicious manner, since in this provision of the statutes, "animal" means a dog or cat.

• It also modifies the provision by extending the animal's action from "attacking" any person to include "or biting" any person.

• Shortens the quarantine time from 15 days to 10 days or for as long as determined by the Wyoming State Health Officer.  The bill allows for home quarantine if the animal has been vaccinated against rabies by a licensed veterinarian and the animal's owner presents a valid rabies vaccination certificate. 

• Provides for a copy of any report regarding the animal bite to be submitted to the state health officer.

• Extends the county dog license fee to all animals (i.e. cats and dogs) and increases the fee from not more than $5.00 to not more than $10.00.

• Provides an exception for livestock guard dogs and provides a limitation on liability for owners of livestock guard dogs.