Sorry, I didn't realize the post from David was serious.
Scary.... sorry you feel that way.

last dog I've ever heard of that died of rabies....ummm - old yeller??

I did a 1 year shot at 11 months and it will be the first and last one he ever gets!

I had To Vaccinate My Old Dog Charlie to Bring him over to Belgium he was over 10 years old then,
It was his first and Last Shot for Rabies.12 month old Fred was Vaccinated at 6 months old the Vet said to wait until then. Baby Goran is 6 months next month he will be Vaccinated But i will only do both Dogs once but will get them checked as as i think it is needed

Cindy,
I know that you are not into vaccinations but what I said is not a scare tactic. It is the truth. Ive seen bat bites on people. It is the reason that We test all bats that come out of houses because people and animals can be bit without knowing it.

I have had to seize animals from houses because the bat that came from the house tested positive for rabies and the dogs and cats that lived in the house did not have rabies vaccinations. The animals were euthanized because of owners who thought they didnt have to get rabies vaccination despite what the state law said and because they keep their pets in the house.Ive also seized dogs that lived in fence in backyards because of rabid racoons.

The goverment agency is not so much looking out for your pet but it is public safety.

Also I have caught several wild animals with rabies, to include a couple of rabid foxes that actually chased people down and bit them. Rabies is ugly to see. We have a rabies epidemic in the wildlife in my area of North Carolina. A rabies epidemic, an actual epidemic. Rabies vaccinations are important and they are a state law.

The minimum age depends on the company that makes the vaccine. Merial is three months or older. The law in the entire US is that all dogs must have a rabies vaccine. That only becomes an issue if he bites, or someone claims the dog bite him or her. It would also become an issue for obtaining a dog license. Again having the county license is only an issue if you get caught without it. I vaacinate my dogs and have never seen a reaction, which does not mean they do not occur

Like I said, anyone can do what they please with their animals but I won't tolerate scare tactics.

David, for you to say you could be bit by a bat and never wake up doesn't fly with me. You are an animal control officer so I am not surprised by your opinions but I am not going to agree with your position on this.

I've seen rabies first hand, I have had to decapitate countless animals for testing. I worked for a vet for many years and unfortunately this was part of my job. I am not going into this blind or thinking rabies doesn't exist. I was bitten by a cat that died the day after it bit me, had to send his brain to the State for testing.... funny thing, this cat was owned by a prominent official in our town and had no rabies vaccine (this was years ago before I moved to WI).

I live in Wisconsin, and there is no euthanasia law for unvaccinated pets. A 10 day quarantine is all that is required.

I figure the odds of my dog coming into contact with a rabid animal AND being bitten AND contracting the disease are odds that are in my favor. The odds of my dog contracting a health problem from a vaccine are guaranteed. It's not IF, it's when.

I don't ever want people to do something they are not comfortable with but they should be educated into the risks of any choice.

If I advise people to comply with the law and then explain why it is a law is considered a scare tactic ,then I disagree. But this is your forum so I will respectfully not make anymore comments.

But I thought I remembered this being a law enforcement friendly web site.

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The aggressive US vaccination programs along with leash laws (they also minimize contact with wildlife) and round ups of strays have virtually eliminated canine rabies as a cause of human deaths in the US. Rather than controlling canine rabies, the shot is now more of a preventative in case your dog encounters rabid wildlife.

Now, in my case, I can say the following about my area:

1. There are very few stray/feral animals
2. What feral animals there are, are picked up promptly by animal control
3. There is adequate village sanitation services, which deprive a non-hunter from surviving on garbage
4. There are hard winters which domesticated animals would be hard-pressed to survive, and which force some potential wild carriers to hibernate or migrate
5. Sufficient (sub)urbanization to drive wild potential carriers to rather segegrated areas
6. Sufficient car traffic to take care of animals who don't have their heads on straight
7. Very little bat roosting

I have a better chance of getting murderd, but I don't go around wearing kevlar all day. Benefit: More likely to survive a gun shot wound. Cost: Quality of life.

I will probably never get shot. But the odds are certainly better than my dog getting rabies.

So, let's be rational.

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But I thought I remembered this being a law enforcement friendly web site.

Animal control?