Erie County SPCA Gives Free Rabies Vaccinations Today!

Is your four-legged friend up-to-date on their rabies vaccines? 

If not, Erie County is working with the SPCA Serving Erie County, in addition to the Medical Reserve Corps and Niagara Frontier Veterinary Society, for two free rabies clinics. 

The first clinic takes place this coming Saturday, September 14, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the Erie County Emergency and Training Operations Center, 3359 Broadway, in Buffalo. The second clinic is scheuled for next Saturday, September 21, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. at Erie Community College’s South Campus, 4041 Southwestern Boulevard, Building 7, in Orchard Park. 

The clinics are free, but registration is required in order to make an appointment for the clinic. Each appointment can cover up to three pets, including dogs, cats, and ferrets. Dogs must be on a leash and wearing a collar or, if they’re smaller, kept in a carrier. Cats and ferrets must be held in a carrier until their appointment. All pets must be at least three months of age to be eligible for a vaccine, and pet owners are asked to bring proof of previous vaccination to the event in order to receive a certificate verifying their pet is inoculated and safe for the next three years. Pets without a prior rabies vaccination certification will receive a one-year certificate. 

Registration for vaccine appointments can be made here; people who need assistance registering for the event are encouraged to call 716-961-6800 during regular business hours to make their appointment. 

Rabies is 100% fatal for all mammals that contract it, usually from being bitten by an infected animal, but any contact with the saliva of a rabies-infected animal might transmit the disease. It is not spread through the blood, urine, or feces of an infected animal. People who come in contact with an animal that might be rabid will be encouraged to get a series of rabies vaccines to help prevent the disease from taking hold of their body. 

Last year alone, the Erie County Department of Health, in partnership with other organizations, helped inoculate more than 3,00 dogs, cats, and ferrets against rabies.