UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 1059
Page 1 of 3
XXXX 1/3/2025 1:45 PM Jacketed
AN ACT relating to 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" has the same meaning as in KRS 321.181[means a licensed 9
practitioner of veterinary medicine]; 10
(4) "Qualified person" means a person granted a permit by the secretary for health and 11
family services to vaccinate his or her own dog against rabies; 12
(5) "Vaccination" means the administration by a veterinarian, veterinary technician, or 13
other qualified person of rabies vaccine approved by and administered in 14
accordance with administrative regulations promulgated by the secretary for health 15
and family services; 16
(6) "Cat" means any feline three (3) months of age or older for which there exists a 17
United States Department of Agriculture approved rabies vaccine; 18
(7) "Animal control officer" means an individual who is employed or appointed by, or 19
has contracted with: 20
(a) A city, county, urban-county, charter county, or consolidated local 21
government to enforce the provisions of this chapter, the provisions of the 22
Kentucky Revised Statutes relating to cruelty, mistreatment, sexual crimes 23
against, or torture of animals, and local animal control ordinances; or 24
(b) An entity that has contracted with a city, county, urban-county, charter 25
county, or consolidated local government to enforce the provisions of this 26
chapter, the provisions of the Kentucky Revised Statutes relating to cruelty, 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 1059
Page 2 of 3
XXXX 1/3/2025 1:45 PM Jacketed
mistreatment, sexual crimes against, or torture of animals, and local animal 1
control ordinances; 2
(8) "Ferret" means any musteline three (3) months of age or older for which there exists 3
a United States Department of Agriculture approved rabies vaccine;[ and] 4
(9) "Quarantine" means the confinement of an animal for observation of clinical signs 5
of illness indicating rabies infection, and the prevention of escape or contact with 6
any person or other animal; and 7
(10) "Veterinary technician" means a veterinary technician, as that term is defined in 8
KRS 321.181, who is under the direct supervision of a veterinarian who is located 9
on the premises of the facility. 10
Section 2. KRS 258.015 is amended to read as follows: 11
(1) Every owner shall have his or her dog, cat, or ferret initially vaccinated against 12
rabies by the age of four (4) months and revaccinated at the expiration of the 13
immunization period as certified by a Kentucky-licensed[the] veterinarian. The 14
veterinarian, or a Kentucky-licensed veterinary technician in accordance to KRS 15
321.190, who vaccinates a dog, cat, or ferret shall issue to the owner a vaccination 16
certificate signed by the veterinarian on a form approved by the Cabinet for Health 17
and Family Services. The vaccination certificate shall be prepared and issued in 18
duplicate, one (1) copy to be retained by the issuing veterinarian and one (1) copy 19
to be given to the owner of the dog, cat, or ferret vaccinated. Each certificate shall 20
bear the name and address of the veterinarian who issued it. The veterinarian shall 21
also furnish each dog owner with a rabies tag bearing a serial number 22
corresponding to the vaccination certificate with the year of immunization. The tag 23
shall be affixed to a collar or harness furnished by the owner and shall be worn by 24
the dog for which the tag was issued. No one except the owner or his or her duly 25
authorized agent shall remove the tag. 26
(2) Every qualified person who vaccinates his or her own dog shall comply with the 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 1059
Page 3 of 3
XXXX 1/3/2025 1:45 PM Jacketed
vaccination certificate and tag requirement provisions of subsection (1) of this 1
section and the administrative regulations promulgated under KRS 258.075. 2
(3) Every owner of a cat or ferret shall show proof of a valid rabies vaccination upon 3
request of an animal control officer or peace officer. 4