UNOFFICIAL COPY 23 RS BR 1510
Page 1 of 3
XXXX 2/21/2023 9:25 AM Jacketed
AN ACT relating to the administration of rabies vaccinations. 1
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 2
Section 1. KRS 258.005 is amended to read as follows: 3
As used in KRS 258.005 to 258.087, unless the context requires otherwise: 4
(1) "Dog" means any canine three (3) months of age or older for which there exists a 5
United States Department of Agriculture approved rabies vaccine; 6
(2) "Owner" means any person owning, keeping, or harboring a dog, cat, or ferret in 7
Kentucky; 8
(3) "Veterinarian" means a licensed practitioner of veterinary medicine; 9
(4) "Qualified person" means a person granted a permit by the secretary for health and 10
family services to vaccinate his or her own dog against rabies; 11
(5) "Vaccination" means the administration by a veterinarian or other qualified person 12
of rabies vaccine approved by and administered in accordance with administrative 13
regulations promulgated by the secretary for health and family services; 14
(6) "Cat" means any feline three (3) months of age or older for which there exists a 15
United States Department of Agriculture approved rabies vaccine; 16
(7) "Animal control officer" means an individual who is employed or appointed by, or 17
has contracted with: 18
(a) A city, county, urban-county, charter county, or consolidated local 19
government to enforce the provisions of this chapter, the provisions of the 20
Kentucky Revised Statutes relating to cruelty, mistreatment, sexual crimes 21
against, or torture of animals, and local animal control ordinances; or 22
(b) An entity that has contracted with a city, county, urban-county, charter 23
county, or consolidated local government to enforce the provisions of this 24
chapter, the provisions of the Kentucky Revised Statutes relating to cruelty, 25
mistreatment, sexual crimes against, or torture of animals, and local animal 26
control ordinances; 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 23 RS BR 1510
Page 2 of 3
XXXX 2/21/2023 9:25 AM Jacketed
(8) "Ferret" means any musteline three (3) months of age or older for which there exists 1
a United States Department of Agriculture approved rabies vaccine;[ and] 2
(9) "Quarantine" means the confinement of an animal for observation of clinical signs 3
of illness indicating rabies infection, and the prevention of escape or contact with 4
any person or other animal; and 5
(10) "Certified animal euthanasia specialist" has the same meaning as in KRS 6
321.181. 7
Section 2. KRS 258.015 is amended to read as follows: 8
(1) Only veterinarians, certified animal euthanasia specialists, or qualified persons 9
may administer rabies vaccinations to dogs, cats, and ferrets. Vaccinations 10
performed by a certified animal euthanasia specialist shall be performed at the 11
euthanasia specialist's place of employment. 12
(2) Every owner shall have his or her dog, cat, or ferret initially vaccinated against 13
rabies by the age of four (4) months and revaccinated at the expiration of the 14
immunization period as certified by the veterinarian. The veterinarian or certified 15
animal euthanasia specialist who vaccinates a dog, cat, or ferret shall issue to the 16
owner a vaccination certificate on a form approved by the Cabinet for Health and 17
Family Services. The vaccination certificate shall be prepared and issued in 18
duplicate, one (1) copy to be retained by the issuing veterinarian or certified animal 19
euthanasia specialist and one (1) copy to be given to the owner of the dog, cat, or 20
ferret vaccinated. Each certificate shall bear the name and address of the 21
veterinarian or certified animal euthanasia specialist who issued it. The 22
veterinarian or certified animal euthanasia specialist shall also furnish each dog 23
owner with a rabies tag bearing a serial number corresponding to the vaccination 24
certificate with the year of immunization. The tag shall be affixed to a collar or 25
harness furnished by the owner and shall be worn by the dog for which the tag was 26
issued. No one except the owner or his or her duly authorized agent shall remove 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 23 RS BR 1510
Page 3 of 3
XXXX 2/21/2023 9:25 AM Jacketed
the tag. 1
(3) [(2)] Every qualified person who vaccinates his or her own dog shall comply with 2
the vaccination certificate and tag requirement provisions of subsection (2) [(1)] of 3
this section. 4
(4) [(3)] Every owner of a cat or ferret shall show proof of a valid rabies vaccination 5
upon request of an animal control officer or peace officer. 6
Section 3. KRS 258.043 is amended to read as follows: 7
(1) A local health department may sponsor mass rabies immunization clinics and shall 8
contract with local veterinarians, certified animal euthanasia specialists, or both to 9
administer the rabies vaccine. If the services of veterinarians or certified animal 10
euthanasia specialists are not available in the area, the local health department may 11
contract with other veterinarians or certified animal euthanasia specialists. The 12
cabinet shall promulgate administrative regulations to establish a reasonable fee, 13
not to exceed administrative costs of the program, to be charged to the owner of 14
each dog, cat, or ferret to help defray the cost of the clinic. 15
(2) No owner shall be required to have his or her dog, cat, or ferret vaccinated at a 16
public clinic if he or she elects to have his or her dog, cat, or ferret vaccinated 17
privately by a veterinarian of his or her choice. 18
(3) No owner shall be required to have his or her dog vaccinated at a public clinic if he 19
or she is a qualified person and elects to vaccinate his or her dog himself. 20