CHENANGO COUNTY – With the summer holidays, the end of the school year, graduation and vacation planning at the fore of most peoples’ minds this time of year, it can be easy to overlook preemptive measures that can keep both your pet and family safe for the future.
A series of vaccination clinics have been established throughout the county for the summer at no cost to pet owners, and the Chenango County Department of Public Health encourages all residents to attend.
“We have always had a great turnout at these clinics, but there is always room for more,” said Isaiah Sutton, Director of Chenango County Environmental Health Services. “We would be willing to vaccinate every domestic animal in the county if residents would bring them to us, and we're really hoping that we can encourage county pet owners to take advantage of the program, especially those with cats.”
Sutton indicated that statistics in Chenango County show that house cats are under-vaccinated, as most cat-owners don't deem it necessary.
Rabies vaccinations are a simple way that area pet owners can help keep the spread of the deadly disease at bay. While it may seem like common sense, it's also a matter of law.
New York State Pubic Heath Rabies Law requires all dogs, cats, and domesticated ferrets to receive immunization against rabies no later than four months of age, and likewise the New York State department of Agriculture & Markets requires dogs to be licensed at four months of age.
People usually get exposed to the rabies virus when an infected animal bites them. Exposure may also occur if saliva from a rabid animal enters an open cut or mucous membrane (eyes, nose or mouth).
Initially, rabies in New York State was a disease carried exclusively by domestic dogs, introduced to North America by European settlers in the 1700's.
With the implementation of economical record keeping in the 1930's, reported cases of animal rabies fluctuated between 20 and 600 cases annually in New York. While most of the cases recorded early on were attributed to domestic dogs, some spillover to livestock animals was recorded as well.
From 1925 until 1944, there were 10 human rabies fatalities, all linked to domestic dog contact.
