Exotic Pets, Farm Animals
It is illegal to sell flesh-eating mammals (i.e., carnivores) other than dogs, cats and ferrets in South Carolina. See Sections 47-5-20 and Section 47-5-50 of the Rabies Control Act.
Some people may keep wild/domestic hybrids, which are animals created through the human-forced crossbreeding of a dog or cat with a wild species, while others keep wild animals confined on their property not as pets, but for other purposes.
What Will Happen to the Animal?
If Your Own Dog, Cat, Ferret, or Other Animal Bit, Scratched, or Wounded Someone
- Confine the animal immediately.
- Apply first aid to the bite wound and seek medical treatment if needed.
- Call your veterinarian to check your animal's vaccination records.
Administer First Aid
If an Animal Bites You, Breaking the Skin
- Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before tending to the wound. Wash hands afterwards, too.
- If bleeding, apply direct pressure to the wound with a clean, dry cloth until the bleeding stops.
Dealing with Bites, Possible Exposures
Rabies Exposure Information
Reporting and Treating Animal Bites and Possible Rabies Exposures
Report All Cases Involving Animal Bites to DPH
If you provide care for a patient who has been bitten by an animal - whether the animal involved is a pet, stray, farm animal, exotic pet or wild animal - you are required to report the name, age, gender, weight, address and telephone number of the person bitten to DPH no later than the end of the next working day.
Rabies
Rabies in South Carolina
Rabies is a virus (Lyssavirus) that can be transmitted when saliva or neural tissue of an infected animal is introduced into the body of a healthy person or animal. It infects cells in the central nervous system, causing disease in the brain and, ultimately, death.