Most states have rabies vaccination laws.
Canine vaccination protects dogs from communicable diseases such as distemper, parvovirus and rabies. Vaccination laws are enacted to protect humans from effects of these diseases, either as a public health concern or as a matter of consumer protection. Distemper and parvovirus can be deadly, especially to young puppies, and some states have laws requiring vaccination to avoid the sale of diseased puppies. Most canine vaccination laws concern public health and the rabies vaccination, however, because rabies is transmissible from dogs to humans.
Rabies
Rabies is caused by a virus, affects the central nervous system and ultimately results in death in infected mammals. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), animals transmit the disease through their saliva, usually through bites. The most common carriers of rabies are foxes, bats, skunks, raccoons and coyotes, which may carry the disease without showing symptoms. These wild animals can infect humans directly, or can infect dogs, which may in turn infect humans.
Purpose
Rabies vaccination laws are designed to prevent dogs from contracting rabies, and as a result prevent humans from becoming infected. Wild animals are more likely to be infected with rabies, but humans have more frequent close contract with dogs. As a result, the risk of dog-to-human rabies transmission is higher than the risk of wild-animal-to-human transmission, according to the CDC.
Requirements
Most states have state-wide rabies vaccination laws and also allow municipalities to create their own ordinances. In general, rabies laws require vaccination of puppies at 3 to 6 months of age, and then revaccination every one to three years, depending on the vaccine used, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. The National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians publishes the "Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control," which provides information on rabies prevention and control, vaccination protocols and a listing of currently-approved rabies vaccinations (see Resources).
Consequences
Failure to vaccinate a dog for rabies usually results in fines and the requirement for immediate vaccination of the dog. An unvaccinated dog that bites a human or animal is subject to quarantine in the best case, and euthanization in the worst. Some states allow medical exemptions from rabies vaccination, if the owner obtains a statement from a veterinarian that the rabies vaccination would pose a health risk to the dog, according to the grassroots organization Vaccination Liberation. Owners should know and understand the rabies laws in their state and locality.
Other Vaccines
Some states require other vaccinations for dogs, usually in puppies being offered for sale. Virginia requires sellers to provide distemper, adenovirus and parvovirus vaccinations before puppies are sold, according to the Code of Virginia. Florida Statutes go further, requiring distemper, parvovirus, leptospirosis, bordatella and hepatitis, as well as treatment for roundworms and hookworms. The National Conference of State Legislatures website provides links to state laws online (see Resources). Vaccination laws are usually found in the chapters covering either "Public Health" or "Agriculture/Animals." Many municipalities also make their laws available online, or owners can call their local city government for a copy of the relevant statutes or ordinances.
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