Vermont Statutes Title 20 Sec. 3581a
Terms Used In Vermont Statutes Title 20 Sec. 3581a
- Department: means the Department of Public Safety. See
- Domestic: when applied to a corporation, company, association, or copartnership shall mean organized under the laws of this State; "foreign" when so applied, shall mean organized under the laws of another state, government, or country. See
- Owner: means any person who owns a domestic pet or wolf-hybrid and includes any person who has actual or constructive possession of the pet or wolf-hybrid. See
- Person: shall include any natural person, corporation, municipality, the State of Vermont or any department, agency, or subdivision of the State, and any partnership, unincorporated association, or other legal entity. See
- pet: means any domestic dogs, domestic cats, and ferrets. See
- Wolf-hybrid: means an animal that is the progeny or descendant of a domestic dog (Canis familiaris) and a wolf (Canis lupus or Canis rufus). See
§ 3581a. Immunization
(a) An owner of a domestic pet or wolf-hybrid shall have that animal inoculated against rabies by a licensed veterinarian in accordance with section 3581 of this title, if applicable, and with rules adopted by the Secretary.
(b) No rabies vaccine may be used for domestic pets unless it is first approved by the Secretary.
(c) Until the Secretary approves a rabies vaccine for use on wolf-hybrids, these animals shall be vaccinated with a vaccine approved by the Secretary for domestic dogs and a veterinarian inoculating a wolf-hybrid in accordance with this section shall not be liable for the failure of the rabies vaccine to protect the animal from rabies nor for any adverse reaction that may be attributable to the vaccination.
(d) A person may use an approved vaccine to inoculate a feral feline that takes up residence in a building other than the person’s home and need not use the services of a licensed veterinarian for this purpose.
(e) The Secretary of the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets and the Department of Health shall provide notices to veterinarians designed to help them to inform people about the provisions of this section regarding cats, wolf-hybrids, and other domestic pets. (Added 1993, No. 213 (Adj. Sess.), § 10, eff. June 15, 1994; amended 2003, No. 42, § 2, eff. May 27, 2003.)