Protecting You
&
Your Pets From Rabies

How Can I Protect My Pet From Rabies?

" Visit your veterinarian with your pet on a regular basis and keep rabies vaccinations updated for all cats and dogs.
" Keep your cats indoors and keep your dogs under direct supervision.
" Spay or neuter your pets to reduce the number of unwanted pets that may not then be properly cared for or vaccinated regularly.
" Call animal control to remove all stray animals from your neighborhood. These animals may be unvaccinated or ill.

Required Protection Laws

" By Law, all dogs and cats are required to be vaccinated for rabies.
" The vaccinations need to be done at 4 months of age and older.
" Vaccinations need to be updated every 1 to 3 years, depending on the type of vaccine used.
" You will receive, from your veterinarian proof of the rabie vaccine given to your pet. Also, you will be told when the next rabie shot is due.
" Your veterinarian will give you proof of rabies and notify you when it is due again.

Owners with unvaccinated animals can be fined hundreds of dollars by the County.
Keep proof of your animal's health o hand. Protect yourself and your pet.

" Unvaccinated animals that are suspected of biting a human may be seized and quarantined by the County. If they show signs of the rabie illness, they can be destroyed so that an autopsy can be taken.

License

Dogs must be licensed by the County. The license must be worn on the collar your pet wears at all times.

Why Does My Pet Need the
Rabies Vaccine?

Your pet and other domestic animals can be infected when they are bitten by rabid wild animals. When rabies occurs in domestic animals, the risk to humans is increased opposes to the cases coming from wildlife encounters. Pets are vaccinated by your veterinarian to prevent them from acquiring the disease from wildlife and transmitting it to humans.

Most rabies vaccines are given to humans as a result of exposure to domestic animals.

What If I Get Bit By A Dog or Cat?

" Seek medical evaluation for any animal bit. Rabies is uncommon in dogs or cats in the United States. Few bites by these animals carry a risk of rabies.
" If the dog or cat appears healthy at the time you were bitten, it can be quarantined by its owner for 10 days and observed. No anti-rabies prophylaxis is needed.
" If a dog or cat appears ill at the time it bit you or becomes ill during the 10 day quarantine, it should be evaluated by a veterinarian for signs of rabies and you should seek medical advice about the need for anti-rabies prophylaxis. The quarantine period is a precaution against the remote possibility that an animal may appear healthy, but actually be sick with rabies.

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