Nearly 60,000 people die each year around the world from rabies, and most become infected through a dog bite. Rabies in dogs is much rarer in the U.S., but that is because of the high rabies vaccination rates here among pets.

To ensure these high rates continue, and to provide easy and free access to pet vaccines, the Putnam County Department of Health hosted a free rabies vaccination clinic in Veterans Memorial Park in Carmel on Saturday. Sixty-two dogs and 53 cats owned by Putnam residents received their rabies vaccines. The health department provides three free clinics a year for pets. In this way, financial concerns do not create a barrier and best practices are implemented that safeguard the health and safety of all community members. The next free rabies vaccination clinic is planned for July, followed by one in November. Dogs, cats and pet ferrets are welcome.

Every spring, the risk of rabies exposure rises in pets and people in Putnam County. That’s because both are spending more time outdoors and bats return to the area. Bats in fact are the most common reason for rabies prevention treatments in the county. Raccoons, skunks, foxes, and feral cats are also among the most common carriers in the area. Early in February, a feral cat found in Putnam Valley tested positive for the rabies virus, a reminder that while exposure numbers do rise in warmer weather, rabies remains a constant and year-round threat.

All contact with bats and wild animals should always be avoided. Bats can sometimes enter a home and their bites are usually minor and can go unnoticed. The most common situation for potential exposure occurs when a bat is found in a room where someone has been sleeping. In this case, if the bat can be safely caught and tested, and the bat proves to be free from infection, then rabies treatment can be avoided. The importance of capturing any bat found inside one’s home cannot be overestimated, since the typical course of a rabies treatment is a series of multiple intramuscular shots, given over 21 days. To learn how to safely capture a bat, the New York State Department of Health has produced a video available on YouTube and accessible through the PCDOH website here: Capture-The-Bat video. 

Remember to promptly report any animal bite, or physical contact with a wild animal, to the health department by calling 845-808-1390. After hours or on weekends, individuals should still report potential exposures by accessing the department’s environmental hotline through voice mail by calling the health department and pressing extension number 3. A health department representative will return the call promptly.