Modified: August 28, 2018 7:59am
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PRESS RELEASE
From the Office of the Commissioner of Health, Dr. Gale R. Burstein
Date: August 28, 2018
CONTACT: Mary C. St. Mary/Mary.StMary@Erie.Gov
Phone: 716.858.4941/ Mobile: 716.253.3925
3 Rabies Vaccination Clinics in September
Last Opportunities in 2018 to Have Your Pets Vaccinated for Free
ERIE COUNTY, NY—The Erie County Department of Health (ECDOH) will host three rabies vaccination clinics in September. These are the last free clinics until January 2019.
“This is an extremely valuable service offered to our community,” stated Dr. Gale Burstein, Erie County Commissioner of Health. “During these three clinics, hundreds of dogs, cats and ferrets receive vaccinations that will protect them from the fatal threat of rabies.”
“Year-round, we educate Erie County residents on the very real risks of rabies exposures from rabies-infected wildlife and the life-threatening consequences to both humans and pets,” added Peter Tripi, Senior Public Health Sanitarian. “Erie County is able to provide these vaccines at no cost to the public.”
This public service would not be possible without the valuable assistance of Niagara Frontier Veterinary Society’s volunteer veterinarians and Medaille College’s Veterinary Technology program veterinary technologists who safely and efficiently vaccinate pets in a potentially stressful environment for the animals,” added Tripi. “The SPCA serving Erie County and the Specialized Medical Assistance Response Team (“SMART”) volunteers efficiently complete the necessary documentation following the immunization.”
All clinics are from 4-7pm. Owners should bring a record of the pet’s most recent rabies vaccination, if available. Pets should be non-aggressive to other animals, under the owner’s control, and on a tight leash or in a secure carrier. Additional information on the clinics can be obtained by calling (716) 961-6800.
As a reminder, it is a New York State law that owners are responsible to have all dogs, cats and ferrets be vaccinated against rabies. This law defines an “owner” as “any person keeping, harboring, or having charge or control of, or permitting any dog, cat or domesticated ferret to remain on or be lodged or fed within such person's house, yard, or premises.”
This means that if a person is harboring and/or feeding stray or feral cats, that person is responsible for having those animals vaccinated against rabies.
Erie County Department of Health: How to Protect Against Rabies
•Do not feed, touch or adopt wild animals, stray dogs or cats. Assume all wildlife and feral animals are rabid.
•Be sure your pet dogs, cats and ferrets and horses and valuable livestock are up-to-date on their rabies vaccinations. Vaccination protects pets if they are exposed to rabid animals. Pets too young to be vaccinated should be kept indoors and allowed outside only under direct observation
•Keep family pets indoors at night. Do not leave them outside unattended or let them roam free.
•Do not attract wild animals to your home or yard. Keep your property free of stored bird seed or other foods that may attract wild animals. Feed pets indoors. Tightly cap or put away garbage cans. Board up any openings to your attic, basement, porch or garage. Cap your chimney with screens.
•If nuisance wild animals are living in parts of your home, consult with a nuisance wildlife control expert have them removed.
•Teach children not to touch any animal they do not know and to tell an adult immediately if they are bitten or scratched by any animal.
•If a wild animal is on your property, let it wander away. Bring children and pets indoors and alert neighbors who are outside.
Report all animal bites or contact with wild animals as soon as possible to ECDOH Vector Control:
716-961-6800 Business Hours, Monday-Friday
716-961-7898 Evenings/Weekends
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For More Information:
Erie County Department of Health
New York State Department of Health