§102.22. Harboring or concealing an animal which has bitten or inflicted serious bodily injury on a human

A. Harboring or concealing an animal which has bitten or inflicted serious bodily injury on a human is committed when a person knows or has reason to know that an animal has bitten or inflicted serious bodily injury on a human and the person intentionally harbors or conceals the animal from any law enforcement or animal control agency investigator or agent.

B. For the purposes of this Section:

(1) "Animal control agency" means the parish or local animal control agency. If the municipality or parish does not have an animal control agency, it means the entity designated to perform animal control functions.

(2) "Serious bodily injury" means bodily injury which involves unconsciousness, extreme physical pain or protracted and obvious disfigurement, or protracted loss or impairment of the function of a bodily member, organ, or mental faculty, or a substantial risk of death.

C. Whoever commits the crime of harboring or concealing an animal which has bitten or inflicted serious bodily injury on a human shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned with or without hard labor, for not more than two years, or both.

D.(1) Any health care provider, as provided in R.S. 40:1231.1, who examines or treats any person who has been bitten by an animal or upon whom an animal has inflicted serious bodily injury shall report such bite or injury to the law enforcement or animal control agency for the location where the bite or injury occurred. Such report shall be made immediately, if possible, and in any event shall be made within twenty-four hours.

(2) The report shall include as much of the following information as is available:

(a) The patient's name, date of birth, sex, and current home and work addresses.

(b) The nature of the bite or injury that is the subject of the report.

(c) Any information about the location of the biting animal and the name and address of any known owner.

(d) The name and address of the health care provider.

Acts 2006, No. 788, §1.