09/28/2026
Today is World Rabies Day!
Rabies is a zoonotic disease (transmissible from animals to people) that is a major public health risk. Rabies is transmitted through the bite of an infected animal, the primary carriers in the United States are bats, raccoons, foxes, and skunks. Once an animal begins showing symptoms of rabies after a bite, it will almost always be fatal. Rabies is 100% preventable! Symptoms of an animal infected by rabies are sudden changes in behavior (mostly increased aggression or fearfulness), excessive drooling, staggering, difficulty swallowing, paralysis, and seizures.
Both dogs and cats (whether indoor only or not) should be vaccinated for rabies. If you think your animal may have recently been bitten by one of the animals listed above, it is important to follow up with your veterinarian to booster your pet’s rabies vaccine and keep them quarantined for 10-14 days to monitor for development of symptoms. If possible, keep the animal trapped and call Animal Control for them to collect the animal and send off for rabies testing.
