Free Rabies Vaccine Clinic for Westchester Cats & Dogs

Cats must be in carriers and dogs must be on a leash. Aggressive dogs must be muzzled. No examinations will be given. 

“Vaccinating your pet against rabies will protect your pet and your family in case your pet has contact with a rabid or potentially rabid animal,” said Westchester County Health Commissioner Sherlita Amler, MD. “It is also required by law.” 


Under New York State law, dogs and cats must receive their first rabies vaccine no later than four months after birth. A second rabies shot must be given within
one year of the first vaccine, with additional booster shots given every one or
three years after that, depending on the vaccine used.  Owners who fail to get their pets vaccinated
and keep the vaccinations up-to-date may be fined up to $2,000.

Rabies is a fatal disease that is
spread through the bite or saliva of infected animals.  Those animals most commonly infected are
raccoons, skunks, bats and foxes. However, cats and dogs are also at risk because they can easily contract rabies from wild or stray animals.

A pet that is up-to-date with its
rabies vaccinations would only need to get a booster dose of vaccine within
five days of the pet’s exposure to a known or suspect rabid animal.  Animals not up-to-date with rabies
vaccinations would need to be quarantined or potentially euthanized following
contact with a rabid or suspect-rabid animal. 

A change in an animal’s behavior
is often the first sign of rabies.  A

rabid animal may become either abnormally aggressive or unusually tame.  It may lose fear of people and become docile
or it may become particularly excited and irritable.  Staggering, spitting and frothing at the

mouth are sometimes noted in infected animals. 

Adults should encourage children to avoid touching unfamiliar animals

and to immediately tell an adult if they have been bitten or scratched by an

animal.

 All animal bites or contacts with animals
suspected of having rabies must be reported to the Westchester County Health
Department at (914) 813-5000.  After
hours, callers should follow instructions in the recorded message for reporting
public health emergencies 24 hours a day. 

To learn more about rabies and its prevention, visit

the Health Department’s website at www.westchestergov.com/health,

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http://www.westchestergov.com/health