05 Oct 2009
by: SMDHU
Local veterinarians are offering their annual low-cost rabies vaccine clinics for dogs and cats over 3 months old.
The low-cost rabies clinics began on Sept. 27 and run to Oct. 31, offering local pet owners a convenient, inexpensive means of getting their pets vaccinated against the disease.
If you have not already had your dog or cat vaccinated during a routine veterinary visit, then take advantage of the low-cost rabies clinics in your area and get your dog or cat vaccinated.
It is mandatory for all dogs and cats to be vaccinated for protection against rabies. Pet owners who fail to comply risk receiving a fine.
“This is a popular service with pet owners,” says Kelly Magnusson, the manager of rabies and emergency preparedness with the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit. “The clinics helped protect more than 3,300 pets against rabies last year. We are grateful to the veterinarians who have taken the effort to bring these clinics to the public.”
The rabies clinics are just one important part of a broader program to prevent rabies from occurring in Simcoe and Muskoka. Thanks to vaccination of pets, baiting of wild raccoons and foxes and public awareness, Ontario now has a lower incidence of rabies, compared to other areas in North America.
Health unit staff investigated 1,049 animal bite incidents in the region in 2008. More than 100 people exposed to the bites needed rabies vaccine as a precaution.
As well as the mandatory rabies vaccination you can help prevent the spread of rabies by preventing your pets from roaming free and by keeping them indoors at night. Remind your family to stay away from unfamiliar dogs and cats as well as all wildlife, including bats. If you come in contact with a bat or find one in a room, alive or dead, where you have been sleeping, have the bat tested for rabies.
For more information on clinic times and dates visit the health unit website at www.simcoemuskokahealth.org or call Your Health Connection at 705-721-7520 or 1-877-721-7520 Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
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