Onondaga county's next free rabies shot clinic for residents' domestic pets is tonight at St. Lucy's Church, 432 Gifford St. in the city of Syracuse. The clinic, offering free rabies shots for dogs, cats and ferrets, will be open for shots from 5pm to 7 pm Thursday, August 26 (tonight.) St. Lucy's Church is located on the city's southwest side.
On August 18, Onondaga County Health Commissioner Dr. Cynthia B. Morrow reported to Syracuse media that a feral cat living in the area of Ridge Road in Pompey had tested positive for rabies. The cat had attacked several residents in the area. Anyone who had physical contact with the cat needed to receive the rabies vaccine. This is the first finding of rabies in a cat within Onondaga county since 2009. On August 2, Utica Dogs examiner Debra Eldredge, DVM, reported that an unvaccinated dog in neighboring Oneida county had killed a rabid skunk.
Rabies cases in New York state typically rise each summer when wildlife populations increase and more family pets are outside, risking greater contact with infected wild creatures. The summer of 2010 is no exception. In July, the latest month for which statistics are available, Onondaga County submitted 41 samples for rabies testing. All submitted samples were negative for rabies.
Although all of Onondaga county's most recently submitted samples tested negative for rabies, new cases of cat, skunk and bat rabies were confirmed in July in nearby Oneida and Oswego counties. The case of cat rabies confirmed on August 18 in Onondaga county is not yet reflected on the latest by-county rabies case map from the Wadsworth Center Laboratories of the NY State Department of Health.
The latest case of rabies in a feral cat brings Onondaga County's confirmed rabies cases for 2010 to four. The other confirmed cases, which are reflected in the Wadsworth Center Laboratories cumulative report, through July 31, 2010, include two confirmed cases in bats and one in a squirrel. From January 1, 2010 through July 31, 2010, Onondaga county submitted 159 animal samples to Wadsworth for testing.
County residents should bring their dogs, cats and ferrets to the free rabies shot clinic on leash or in carriers, and bring with them each pet's past shot records. Animal Disease Control and the Onondaga County Health Department remind owners to keep their pets close and confined while in the clinic. All rabies shots are free for pets owned by Onondaga County residents, but the clinic will accept a voluntary donation per family. For more information, contact Animal Disease Control at 315-435-3165.
NY State Public Health Law requires rabies shots for puppies and kittens by the time they are 3 months of age, with booster shots when they are 1 year old. After the booster shot, all cats and dogs require a new rabies shot every three years. Domesticated ferrets require rabies shots annually, according to NYS Department of Health zoonotic disease fact sheets. New York state parks, most boarding kennels and most dog training programs require proof of rabies vaccination for animals on their grounds. For those vacationing along the St. Lawrence Seaway or traveling to Canada, US-Canada border crossings require proof of current rabies vaccination for each pet in the vehicle.
In 2008, the last full year for which current stats are available, the NY State Department of Health laboratory recorded for Onondaga County 12 confirmed cases of rabies in various species: one cat, six raccoons, one skunk, two bats and two grey foxes. 2008 also saw 45 rabies cases confirmed in counties adjacent to Onondaga County.
Can't make tonight's free rabies shot clinic at St. Lucy's Church in Syracuse? Onondaga County has scheduled additional free rabies shot clinics through December 2010 in various locations in Syracuse and the suburbs.
Live outside of Onondaga County? Madison County's rabies shot clinics also run through December 2010. For Herkimer and Oneida County rabies shot clinic updates, check Debra Eldrege's Utica Pet Health Examiner column.
--- MISSING DOG ALERT --- Tina FOUND & SAFE! ---
The owners of Tina the whippet contacted Syracuse Dog Training this morning to alert readers that Tina was found and caught early Thursday morning, August 26. Larraine and Joe thank all of the readers and Camillus neighbors in the Elm Hill area who kept watch for Tina, and helped them locate her.
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