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                                                                      August 18, 2005      

 

 

WESTCHESTER COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT SPONSORING

FREE RABIES VACCINATION CLINIC FOR PETS

 

 

The Westchester County Department of Health will be sponsoring a free rabies vaccination clinic for the pets of Westchester residents on Sunday, August 28th at the Stamen Animal Hospital in New Rochelle.  The clinic will run from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. at the hospital, located at 61 Quaker Ridge Road in New Rochelle.  Appointments are necessary.  To make an appointment or for more information on this event, please call the hospital directly at (914) 632-1269.

All county residents are eligible to bring their dogs, cats and ferrets in for rabies vaccinations or booster shots free of charge if no examination is given.  Examinations and other types of vaccination will also be available at low cost during the clinic.  Cats and ferrets must be brought in carriers and dogs must be on a leash. Aggressive dogs must be muzzled.

“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 and keep the vaccinations up-to-date may be fined up to $1,000.

 

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RABIES VACCINATIONS – Page 2

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 as to the Westchester County Health Department at (914) 813-5000.  Outside of business hours, callers should follow instructions in the recorded message for reporting public health emergencies 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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