On September 7, 2007, the Centers for Disease Control announced that the canine form of rabies has been eraditicated from the United States.
Good news for dogs!
So, is it still necessary that animal licensing agencies require rabies vaccinations before issuing dog licenses?
There's already a lot of literature circulating around the Internet claiming that rabies vaccines can be deadly to dogs, if administered too frequently. Some activists contend that a single rabies vaccine is good enough to last five years, or maybe longer, and that administering the vaccine more frequently can cause serious illness, permanent disability, and death.
But it appears that rabies vaccinations are not going away.
These days, with animal rights activists pushing for laws that put dog breeders out of business, a growing puppy industry has blossomed in Mexico. Now we have to deal with Mexico's faulty disease control, as these puppies are being smuggled into the USA to meet the growing demand for puppies.
And it's not just Mexico. Foreign-born puppies are being brought in from the Caribbean, Canada, even as far away as India. And these countries don't have the same strict rabies control systems that we have in the USA.
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Labels: Rabies Vaccinations
