Our TWO HEARTS Adoption Special takes place every first Saturday of the month.
Injured or sick animals
- 5-1-104 - Diseased animals—Injured or sick animal
- A. Every person owning or having any animal under his charge within the city which he knows or suspects to be sick or injured, shall isolate the animal from other animals and shall obtain treatment for such animal by a licensed veterinarian within twenty-four (24) hours.
B. Any animal which comes into possession of the city at the animal shelter which is injured or sick may be humanely euthanized by the animal shelter personnel with city manager, or their designee, approval in writing, without waiting for the seventy-two-hour redemption period in which such animal may be reclaimed by its owner. If time and conditions permit, the animal shelter personnel will attempt to contact the owner, if known, to determine if the owner is interested in redemption. If the owner indicates that the animal will be redeemed but fails to redeem the animal within twenty-four (24) hours of such notification, the sick or injured animal may be euthanized by animal shelter personnel. The animal welfare division shall keep a record of such animal, to include breed and sex of the animal, when the animal came into possession of the city, the type of injury or sickness of such animal, the date the animal was destroyed, and any other information relevant to the health, condition and description of such animal.
(97-33, Amended, 07/22/1997)
(Ord. No. 13-26, § 1, 8-13-2013; Ord. No. 23-48, § 2, 12-12-2023)
Animal Bites & Quarantine
Rabies and Animal Bites
- 5-3-301 - Animal bites-Rabies examination-Quarantine
- A. Report Required. Every situation involving an animal to human bite, regardless of the immunization status of the animal, shall be reported to the Animal Welfare Division immediately upon discovery.
B. Quarantine Required. Every owner of any animal that has bitten a human shall be required to quarantine the animal at a veterinarian hospital or by an approved home quarantine period as set forth in paragraph C. within twenty-four (24) hours from the time of the bite incident for a period of ten (10) days from the date the person was bitten, and the animal shall not be released from such quarantine except by permission of the Health Department Designee and the veterinarian in charge of the quarantined animal. Upon confirmation from a physician of a bite incident, the Animal Welfare Division will notify and direct the owner of the animal to immediately quarantine the animal at a veterinarian clinic within the City of Lawton for a period of ten (10) days from the date the person was bitten and the animal shall not be released from such quarantine except by permission of the Health Department Designee and the veterinarian in charge of the quarantined animal. If an owner refuses to quarantine an animal as required by this section, the animal welfare officer may issue a citation for failure to quarantine. Immediately thereafter, the animal welfare officer may file a petition in municipal court for a show cause hearing directing the owner of such animal to appear in municipal court and show why the animal should not be quarantined. The show cause hearing shall be held within two (2) business days and the court will determine whether the animal should be returned to the owner or direct that it be quarantined.
C. Home Quarantine. In lieu of the quarantine requirement set forth in paragraph B., a home quarantine method as determined and approved by the Health Department Designee may be authorized provided the owner can substantiate the animal meets the criteria of being currently vaccinated against rabies and the Health Department Designee finds that the bite did not result in a severe injury.
D. Stray Animals. In the case of a bite incident involving a stray animal, or in the case of a dog or cat whose ownership is not known, such animal will be impounded immediately. The animal will be held at the animal shelter under the supervision of the staff veterinarian for the duration of the quarantine period set by the Oklahoma State Department of Health for that species or shall be humanely euthanized and the head removed by a licensed veterinarian for submission to the State Department of Health for rabies examination. The final decision for animal destruction, quarantine, or other disposition of any animal other than a dog, cat or ferret that bites a person, or otherwise potentially exposes a person to rabies shall be determined by the Health Department Designee.
(Ord. 2005-11, Amended, 04/22/2005; 97-33, Amended, 07/22/1997)
(Ord. 2006-08, Amended, 05/11/2006)
(Ord. No. 11-37, § 3, 8-9-2011)
5-3-302 - Responsibility for costs incurred.
Payment of fees incurred for daily boarding, euthanasia, and quarantine at the Animal Welfare Division, as stipulated in the fee schedule, as well as the cost associated with quarantine at a veterinarian clinic, preparation and transport of specimens for laboratory testing, or any other costs incurred to comply with Chapter 5, shall be the responsibility of the person or entity owning, keeping, or harboring the animal.