The Oneida County Health Department, in cooperation with the Town of Lee, will be offering a rabies vaccination clinic. The event will take place:
- Wednesday, April 27, 2022 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Lee Town Park.
Appointments are required for the clinic and can be made by calling 315-798-5064 or online at https://ocgov.net/health. Pets will receive a one-year certificate if no prior proof of rabies is shown. A $10 donation per pet is requested to help with costs. The following guidelines will be in place at each location:
- Dogs and cats need to be vaccinated at 3 months old, 1 year, and then once every 3 years.
- Pets will receive a 1 year certificate if no prior proof of rabies vaccination is shown.
- Ferrets must be vaccinated every year.
- Dogs need to be on a leash and cats need to be in a carrier or laundry basket.
Rabies is a deadly disease that affects the brain and kills both animals and humans. Animals pass the virus through saliva when the infected animal bites. Any mammal can get rabies, but bats, skunks, foxes and raccoons are most common. Without quick treatment, the rabies virus can lead to death. Last year, the county Health Department investigated 510 cases of human or pet contact with a variety of potentially rabid animals including bats, foxes, skunks, cats, raccoons and horses. 7 animals were lab confirmed positive for rabies. Fortunately, rabies is also almost 100 percent preventable for your pets if they are vaccinated.
“Prevention is key. Rabies can be fatal but there are measures we can take to protect ourselves and our pets. Have your pets vaccinated and avoid contact with wild animals,” said Daniel W. Gilmore, Ph.D., MPH, Director of Health. “Rabies vaccinations not only protects your pet, but it also protects you, your family and the community.”
In addition to pet vaccination, Gilmore recommends the following:
- Do not touch or feed wild or unknown animals.
- Do not touch dead or sick animals.
- Learn the signs of rabies in animals.
- Seek immediate medical attention if you have contact with an animal you think may be rabid.
- Call animal control to remove all stray animals from your neighborhood since these animals may be unvaccinated or ill.
- Report all animal bites to the county Health Department
For the safety of pets and the convenience of county residents, the county Health Department offers rabies vaccination clinics throughout the year in various community locations. Last year, OCHD vaccinated 371 pets.
Additional clinic dates and locations will be announced in the near future. All cats, dogs, and ferrets three months or older must have a current rabies vaccination, even if they stay indoors. Dogs and cats must receive a rabies vaccination at three months old, one year, and then once every three years. Ferrets must receive a rabies vaccination every year.
For more information on Rabies Prevention, contact the Oneida County Health Department at 315-798-5064 or log onto our website athttps://www.ocgov.net//oneida/envhealth/MosquitoesTicksRabies.
