Protect Your Pets With Low-Cost Rabies Clinics
Written by admin, May 7, 2015
May 7, 2015 – May 23
The Peterborough Public Health is teaming up with local veterinarians to help combat rabies. On Saturday, May 23 from 12 noon until 2:00 p.m. there will be multiple clinics running across the County and City to help protect pets against the disease. These vaccinations are low-cost at $25 per pet. All animals must be on a leash or caged.
Provincial law requires that all cats and dogs over three months of age in Peterborough City and County must be vaccinated for rabies. Vaccinations protect pets from rabies and help protect your family if your pet is bitten by a rabid wild animal. A conviction for not having an animal properly vaccinated carries a $110.00 fine per animal.
“Protecting your cat or dog against rabies is not just a good idea, it’s the law,” said Atul Jain, Manager of Inspection Services, who oversees the rabies prevention and control program for Public Health. “We hope that the community will take advantage of these low-cost rabies clinics because while it’s rare, when humans develop rabies from infected animals it is almost 100% fatal.”
The Ministry of Natural Resources’ aggressive Rabies Control Program has dramatically reduced the incidence of rabies in foxes, skunks and raccoons in Ontario. In 2014 there were 18 confirmed rabies cases in Ontario, all in bats. Bats, like other mammals, may have rabies and can transmit rabies to dogs and cats. There are eight species of bats in Ontario, each of which has its own strain of rabies, but the more common strains are big brown bat, little brown bat, and silver-haired bat. Pet vaccination and the provincial baiting program are still required to keep rabies at bay for the protection of Ontario families.
Rabies is a deadly disease of the central nervous system that affects humans and other mammals. The virus is concentrated in the saliva of a rabid animal and can spread through a bite, cut or scratch, or if the saliva comes in contact with the moist tissues of the mouth, nose or eyes. There is no known treatment for rabies once the symptoms appear. The disease cannot be treated, but it can be prevented through vaccination.
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For further information, please contact:
Atul Jain
Inspection Program Manager
705-743-1000, ext. 259