Health department issues tickets to irresponsible pet owners

The La Crosse County Health Department announced it will immediately start issuing citations against pet owners who do not follow appropriate protocol for rabies prevention.

Jennifer Rombalski, director of the health department, said staff members receive about 450 reports of animal bites in a year. Of those reports, only 75 percent comply with follow-up requirements.

“We think 25 percent of noncompliance rates are too high, and we need to be able to encourage and entice animal owners to be responsible.”

Those requirements ensure the animal is vaccinated for rabies and is quarantined for 10 days after a bite. During that time, the animal must have three veterinarian visits to check for signs of rabies. If the animal is vaccinated, it can be quarantined at home. If not, it can be a costly 10-day visit at a vet clinic.

Because of the lack of compliance, the department decided to assert its authority as part of the health code.

“We don’t want to do that, of course,” Rombalski said. “We would rather educate, work with people, and it is really all about preventing humans from getting rabies because that is 100 percent fatal.”

The initial ticket costs $100, but after court costs, the amount more than doubles to $263.50, according to Rombalski.