COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES-DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH
COMMUNICABLE DISEASE CONTROL & PREVENTION 
VETERINARY PUBLIC HEALTH-RABIES CONTROL PROGRAM 

BITE REPORTING LAWS

Title 17. California Code of Regulations

17CCR2606(a).  Reporting.  Any person having knowledge of the whereabouts of an animal known to have or suspected of having rabies shall report the facts immediately to the local health officer.  The health officer shall likewise be notified of any person or animal bitten by a rabid or suspected rabid animal.  In those areas declared by the Director of the State Department of Health Services to be rabies areas, the local health officer shall be notified when any person is bitten by an animal of a species subject to rabies, whether or not the animal is suspected of having rabies.

Los Angeles County Ordinance

Chapter 11.04.  COMMUNICABLE DISEASE CONTROL

Part 2. Rabies Control and Vicious Animals

11.04.200 Persons bitten by certain animals -- Report required -- Treatment.

It shall be the duty of each physician to report to the director any case coming to the physician's attention in which a person has been bitten by, or otherwise exposed to, an animal of a species subject to rabies, giving the full name, age and address of the person who has been bitten. If no physician is in attendance on said case, said report shall be made by the person bitten or otherwise exposed, or, in the case of a minor, by his parent or guardian. The director shall ascertain that said individual is treated as the director, in his opinion and discretion, deems necessary for the protection of said individual, and the director shall order the quarantine and observation of the biting animal until it is established by the director that such animal does not have symptoms of rabies. (Ord. 10728 § 1 (part), 1973: Ord. 7583 Part 2 § 218, 1959.)

11.04.230 Owner of biting animal -- Report required -- Examination of confined animal.  Whenever the owner or person having charge, custody or control of any animal observes or learns that such animal has bitten or otherwise exposed a human being, such owner or person having charge, custody or control of such animal shall report the incident at once to the director and shall confine such animal in an enclosure, or shall securely hold and restrain said animal, by chain or other device, for examination and observation by the director. No owner or person having charge, custody or control of such animal shall fail, refuse or neglect to allow the director to make an inspection or examination of such animal for the purpose of determining whether such animal has symptoms of rabies.