Free Rabies Vaccination Clinic- July 31 Ulster SPCA

FREE RABIES VACCINATION CLINIC

The Ulster County Department of Health (UCDOH) is sponsoring a FREE rabies vaccination clinic on Friday, July 31, 11 AM to 1 PM, at the Ulster County SPCA, 20 Wiedy Road, in Kingston.  No appointment is necessary.

The goal of this FREE rabies vaccination clinic is to help residents protect the health of their pets and the community from the deadly rabies virus. UCDOH asks residents who wish to take advantage of the clinic to please comply with the following guidelines:

• Please bring along your pet’s last rabies history certificate, if available
• All dogs must be on a leash
• Cats and ferrets must be in a carrier
• Drive-thru event
• Masks required
• Social distancing in effect

NYS law requires all cats, dogs and ferrets to be currently vaccinated against rabies. Initial vaccination must be done by the time the animal is 4 months of age, or as soon as the animal is acquired. After initial vaccination, all animals must be revaccinated one year later and then every 1, 3 or 4 years according to the type of vaccine used. Consult your veterinarian to determine the appropriate schedule.

Additionally, pursuant to New York State Agriculture & Markets Law, all dogs in New York State are required to be licensed in the municipality in which the dog resides.  In order to obtain this dog license, a valid, current rabies vaccination certificate is required.

Rabies is most commonly transmitted to people who are bitten and exposed to the saliva of a rabid animal. Exposure can also occur if saliva or nervous tissue from a rabid

animal gets into a scratch or fresh wound.

Exposure to a rabid animal does not always result in rabies. If treatment is initiated promptly following an exposure, rabies can be prevented. If a rabies exposure is not treated

and a person develops clinical signs of rabies, the disease almost always results in death.

What can people do to protect themselves against rabies?

• Be sure your pet dogs, cats and ferrets, as well as horses and other livestock animals are up-to-date on their rabies vaccinations.
• Keep family pets indoors at night. Don’t leave them outdoors unattended.
• Don’t feed, touch or adopt wild animals, stray dogs or cats.
• Do not transport or relocate any wild animals.
• Don’t attract wild animals to your yard.
• Keep your property free of food sources.
• Tightly cap or put away garbage cans.
• Board up any openings to your home.
• Cap chimneys with screens.
• Bat proof your home. Contact the Ulster County Department of Health for tips.
• Encourage children to immediately tell an adult if they are bitten by any animal. Tell

children not to touch any animal they do not know.

• If a wild animal is on your property and it did not come in contact with humans or pets, let it wander away. Bring children and pets indoors and alert neighbors who are outside. You may contact a nuisance wildlife control officer who will remove the animal for a fee.
• Report all animal bites or contact with wild animals to the Ulster County Department of

Health.

• If possible, try to contain the animal so it can be tested.  Don’t let any animal escape that has possibly exposed someone to rabies, as it can be observed or tested for rabies to avoid the need for treatment.

For more information, please call the Ulster County Department of Health at 845-340-3010 or visit online at www.UlsterCountyNY.gov/health.  The UCDOH after- hours emergency line is 845-334-2145.

For more information on rabies, visit the New York State Department of Health website at https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/zoonoses/rabies/ , or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/ .