news release
ANDREW J. SPANO, Westchester County Executive JOSHUA LIPSMAN, M.D., M.P.H., Commissioner of Health SUSAN TOLCHIN, Director of Communications

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 15, 2005

FREE RABIES VACCINATION CLINIC FOR CATS, DOGS AND FERRETS

The Westchester County Department of Health will be sponsoring a free rabies vaccination clinic for pets of Westchester residents this weekend. The clinic will be held on Sunday, November 20 from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Peekskill Animal Hospital located at 1966 Crompond Road, Cortlandt Manor. All county residents are eligible to bring their dogs, cats and ferrets in for free rabies vaccinations or booster shots. Cats and ferrets must be brought in carriers and dogs must be leashed. Aggressive dogs must be muzzled. An exam and other types of vaccinations are available at low cost. Call (914) 737-2620 to schedule an appointment.

“Rabies is an extremely dangerous disease to humans as well as to many animals,” said Westchester Health Commissioner Dr. Joshua Lipsman. “Vaccination against rabies is essential for the protection of your pet and yourself and is required by law.”

Under New York State law, dogs, cats and ferrets must receive their first rabies vaccinations no later than four months after birth. A second rabies shot must be given within one year of the first vaccination with additional booster shots given every one or three years after that, depending on the vaccine used. Owners who fail to get their pets vaccinated and keep the vaccinations up-to-date may be fined up to $1,000.

“It is important for a pet owner to know that if a pet is not up-to-date with its rabies vaccinations and has a fight with a rabid or suspect-rabid animal, the pet will be either euthanized or quarantined for six months,” said Dr. Lipsman. “A pet that is up-to-date with its vaccinations would only need to get a booster dose of vaccine within five days of the incident,” he said.

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FREE RABIES CLINIC – PAGE 2

Rabies is a fatal disease that is spread through the bite or saliva of infected animals. The animals most commonly infected are raccoons, skunks, bats and foxes. However, domestic animals such as cats and dogs are also at risk because they can easily contract rabies from wild or stray animals.

A change in an animal’s behavior is often the first sign of rabies. A rabid animal may become either abnormally aggressive or unusually tame. It may lose fear of people and become docile or it may become particularly excited or irritable. Staggering, spitting and frothing at the mouth are sometimes noted in infected animals. Adults should encourage children to avoid touching unfamiliar animals and to immediately tell an adult if they have been bitten or scratched by an animal.

All animal bites or contact with animals suspected of having rabies must be reported to the Westchester County Department of Health at (914) 813-5000, 24 hours a day. To learn more about rabies and its prevention, residents can also call the Rabies Hotline at (914) 813-5010 to hear a taped message or they can visit the Health Department’s website at www.westchestergov.com/health.