Press Release: Washington County Public Health Rabies Clinic Schedule Released

The 2023 Rabies Clinic Schedule is now available and posted on the Washington County Public Health Website and Public Health’s Facebook page. (See Links below.)

Washington County Public Health wants pet owners to know that New York State law requires all dogs, cats, and domesticated ferrets to be vaccinated against rabies.  All Dogs and Cats should be vaccinated against rabies at 3 months of age and re-vaccinated one year later, then every three years thereafter.  (Pregnant female cats will not be vaccinated.)  Ferrets should be vaccinated against rabies at 3 months of age and re-vaccinated yearly thereafter.

The 2023 Rabies Clinics will once again be held as Drive-Through Clinics and will be By Appointment Only.

To schedule appointments, Public Health will be using a new online scheduling system.  Appointments will be scheduled by going to the Public Health Rabies webpage, during the specified registration dates for each clinic location.   There will be a red "Rabies Clinic Registration" button, which will take people to the registration system. This link will turn off at the registration end date or when the clinic appointments are filled, whichever comes first. Appointments will need to be made for each pet being vaccinated.

People will get confirmation of appointment time, date and location in their email at the end of registration.  They will also get an e-mail reminder 24 hours before to the Clinic date.  If someone does not have the internet, they can call Public Health for assistance with the online scheduling.

Keep the following in mind if you attend a Rabies Clinic:

o    Do not arrive earlier than 5 minutes before your scheduled appointment time.

o    All pets must be on a leash or in a carrier.

o    Owners and pets must stay in your vehicle until instructed otherwise. This is a drive through clinic.

o    Have pets relieve themselves before arriving to clinic.  Pets/Owners are not allowed to walk around the clinic site.

o    To get a 3-year certificate, proof of previous vaccination should be submitted by the Wednesday before clinic date.  (Tags do not count as proof of vaccination, you need the paperwork to get a 3-year certificate.)  

Note: You can still register if you don't have the paperwork, however, the vaccination will be marked as a 1 year vaccination until you send proof of the previous vaccination. Once proof of previous vaccination is provided, the vaccination will be changed to a 3-year vaccination.

o    All Clinics are Free and open to the public. (Donations are accepted.)

Rabies Clinic Page: https://www.washingtoncountyny.gov/311/Rabies-Clinic

Washington County Pubic Health Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/washingtoncountynypublichealth