Through enforcement, education and other disease prevention activities, the Rabies Disease & Vector Control Program is responsible for the following public health programs: 

Rabies Prevention

Staff conducts investigations of domestic animal bites & scratches and wildlife encounters between people and/or their pets. 

Rodent Control

Staff responds to service requests regarding rodent infestations for properties that are 4 unit residences or less which are not part of an apartment complex or commercial property. 

• Rodent Control Program

Public Health Nuisance Complaints

Public Health Nuisance = whatever is dangerous to human life or detrimental to health.

Staff conducts investigations of complaints such as, but not limited to: properties that have rodent infestations, improperly stored garbage, junk & debris, improper bird and wildlife feeding, dog feces not cleaned up and disposed of properly. These are conditions that create rodent harborage and attract potentially dangerous nuisance wildlife. 

Arbovirus Prevention

Arbovirus = viruses transmitted by bloodsucking arthropods such as ticks, fleas, or mosquitoes.

Staff conducts investigations of complaints such as standing water- improperly maintained swimming pools and other man made containers that hold water and create mosquito harborage. 

Neighbor Notification Law

On January 1, 2008, Erie County Local Law No. 1 of 2007 went into effect. Under this local law, Erie County opted into a State law (The Neighbor Notification Law - Article 33 Title 10 of the Environmental Conservation Law) regarding the sale and use of certain lawn pesticides by:

• Commercial Lawn Care Companies;
• Retail Stores;
• Homeowners (Do-It-Yourself Residential Applicators); and
• Building Owners 

Additional Information

• Rabies Information
• Vector Information (Rats, Mosquitoes, Ticks and more) 
• Neighbor Notification Law

Related Programs

• Housing-Based Injury Control and Prevention Program
• Healthy Neighborhoods Program (HNP)

FAQs

• Free Rabies vaccination clinics for cats, dogs & ferrets
• There is a bat in my house. What should I do?
• I found a dead rat (or other animal) on my property.  Can the Health Department come out and pick it up?

Contact

Division of Environmental Health
ECDOH Building
503 Kensington Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14214 
Map of Campus 
Phone: 716-961-6800 (For Emergencies after regular business hours: 716-961-7898)
Fax: 716-961-6880
Area Served: Erie County, NY