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 April 22, 2005

FREE RABIES VACCINATIONS FOR PETS OFFERED BY

WESTCHESTER HEALTH DEPARTMENT

The Westchester County Department of Health will be co-sponsoring a free rabies vaccination clinic for the pets of Westchester residents this weekend. The clinic will be held at Petland Discounts in White Plains on Sunday April 24, from 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. The store is located at 439 Tarrytown Road in White Plains. Rabies shots will be provided by veterinarian Dr. Jeff Friedman free of charge for cats, dogs and ferrets three months of age and older. Other pet vaccinations are available at low cost.

Cats and ferrets must be brought in carriers and dogs must be on a leash. Aggressive dogs should be muzzled. For more information on this event, residents should call Petland Discounts at (914) 949-5511.

“Rabies is an extremely dangerous disease to humans as well as to many animals,” said Joshua Lipsman, M.D., M.P.H., Commissioner of Health for Westchester County. “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 vaccination 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 or keep the vaccinations up-to-date may be fined up to $1,000.

“It is important for pet owners to know that if their pet is not up-to-date with its rabies vaccinations and it has a fight with a rabid or suspect-rabid animal, or if it bites or scratches someone, the pet will either be

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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.

Rabies is a fatal disease that is spread through the bite or saliva of infected animals. Those 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 and 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 Health Department 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 website at www.westchestergov.com/health.

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