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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 16, 2006

WESTCHESTER COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO SPONSOR

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, September 10th in conjunction with the Stamen Animal Hospital in New Rochelle. The clinic will run from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. at the Stamen Animal Hospital, which is located at 61 Quaker Ridge Road, New Rochelle. Appointments are necessary. To make an appointment or for more information on this event, please call the Animal 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 vaccinations will also be available at low cost during the clinic. Cats and ferrets must be brought in carriers and dogs must be on leashes. Aggressive dogs must be muzzled.

“Rabies is an extremely dangerous disease to humans as well as to many animals,” said Joshua Lipsman, M.D., J.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

“It is important for a pet owner to know that if a 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 euthanized or quarantined for up to 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 pet’s exposure to a known or suspect rabid animal,” 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 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 contacts with animals suspected of having rabies must be reported 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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