Clevengers Corner Veterinary Care

Mark your calendars. In observance of Rabies Awareness Month and in order to contribute to public health, Clevengers Corner Veterinary Care will be hosting a rabies vaccine clinic on Saturday, March 21 from 1pm until 4pm. Vaccines will be administered to dogs, cats, or ferrets for a fee of $20 each. Three year vaccines will be administered with proof of prior rabies vaccination. No appointments are necessary. For directions to our practice, please visit ClevengersCorner.com or call 428-1000. Q: I heard that veterinarians forward personal information to the government every time a rabies shot is given. Is that true? A: Prior to widespread vaccination of pets, rabies in domestic animals was a much more common occurrence. During the 1950s, there was one case of domestic animal rabies for each 150,000 people in the United States each year. Today, there is only one domestic animal case for every 600,000 people. The four-fold decrease is particularly impressive considering the dramatic increase in rabid wild animals and the greater overlap of wild and domestic animal habitats. The decline is a direct result of state and local governments mandating vaccination of pets and implementing formal animal control programs. For over thirty years, dog owners in Virginia have been required to register with their county treasurer and pay a licensing fee. This fee is designed to be the primary funding mechanism for the county’s animal control officers, animal shelter, and spay/neuter and rabies clinics. The law has required presentation of the dog’s rabies certificate which states the owner’s name and address, description of the dog, date of vaccination, and information on the vaccine and veterinarian. A 2007 law requires Virginia veterinarians to forward copies of canine rabies certificates to their county treasurer. This new requirement does not provide any information to the county treasurer that is not already provided when a dog owner presents the rabies certificate themselves. The only change is that county treasurers will be able to identify dog owners who are not complying with current law and send them a license (and bill). Contrary to rumors on the internet, there is no statewide database being created. In fact, according to the Virginia Animal Control Association, dog licenses are to be treated as a tax record and therefore largely exempt from the Freedom of Information Act. Your personal information on a dog license application is protected the same way as your property tax return. While this new law has generated considerable controversy, the sponsors and supporters hope to help animals throughout the commonwealth. In Culpeper County, less than 2,000 dog licenses were sold in 2006. Using demographic and census data, the county is likely to be home to over 10,000 more. As a veterinarian, I do not welcome yet another government requirement of my practice. However, if less pets are euthanized, more abuse cases are acted upon, and more animals are spayed and neutered, then the minor inconvenience will be well worth it. Rabies continues to be a serious and fatal disease. Virginia is an endemic rabies area, where the virus is more common than most places on the planet. Every year, hundreds of Virginians must go through expensive and inconvenient vaccination after being exposed to a rabid animal. Thanks to the efforts of veterinarians, public health officials, and legislators, the occurrence of rabies in people is increasingly rare in this country. However, it is essential that pet owners continue to vaccinate their pets at regular intervals. Do not let this new effort to increase compliance with Virginia’s dog licensing laws prevent you from protecting your pet and your family. Be weary of those who would encourage you to knowingly violate laws they personally dislike. As always, when it comes to the health of your pet, your family veterinarian is your best source of advice.

	Office Hours: 7:00am – 7:00pm Monday through Thursday 7:00am – 5:30pm Friday 8:30am – 12:00pm Saturday Doctor’s Hours: by appointment please	Online store
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