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The local health unit is teaming up with veterinarians in Fenelon Falls and Port Hope to help keep beloved pets safe and healthy.
The annual reduced-cost rabies clinics is set to take place April 15 at the Fenelon Animal Clinic from 9 am to noon and the Ganaraska Animal Clinic from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm
In the last few years, the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit has seen a significant increase in animal bite or scratch incidents.
While bats, foxes, skunks and raccoons are the most common transmitters of rabies — a viral disease that affects the central nervous system of warm-blooded mammals, including humans — pets and other domestic animals can also spread the disease.
In Ontario, all cats, dogs and ferrets must be vaccinated for rabies at three months old and must remain up to date for the duration of the pet’s life.
“Throughout 2022, the HKPR District Health Unit investigated 567 animal bite or scratch exposures in the County of Haliburton, City of Kawartha Lakes and Northumberland County,” stated environmental health manager Richard Ovcharovich. “These investigations included 384 dogs, 105 cats and 78 other animals. At the time of the incidents, only 34 per cent of dogs and 16 per cent of cats were vaccinated for rabies.”
If an animal is infected, rabies can also be transmitted to humans when there is contact with the saliva through a bite, lick of an open wound or scratch.
Last year, 37 people in the health unit area were treated with the rabies immune globulin and vaccine series, a life-saving treatment that can prevent rabies infection if given soon after an exposure. Additionally, 20 animals were submitted for testing with one bat testing positive for rabies.
“Rabies is fatal, so getting pets vaccinated is an important part of caring for animals and being a responsible pet owner. By vaccinating your four-legged friend, you are also protecting the health of your family and loved ones,” continues Ovcharovich.
The cost is $40 per animal (unless otherwise specified); cash only. No appointments are needed, and dogs must remain on leash and cats must be in a secure carrier. Owners should bring proof of their pet’s most recent rabies vaccination if applicable. The clinics do not include an examination of pets.