County plans rabies vaccination clinic for pets

♦ Floyd County has eight confirmed cases so far this year.

As of September, Floyd County has had eight confirmed cases of rabies — four in raccoons, two in foxes, one bat and one cat, and the Floyd County Health Environmental Health Department is hosting a rabies vaccination clinic in the hopes to keep the number of infections down.

The department, along with Floyd County Animal Control and local veterinarians, will conduct a rabies vaccination clinic for cats and dogs on Sept. 22 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the parking lot of the Floyd County Health Department, 16 E. 12th St.

“Our office has also investigated 206 animal-bite cases this year, which included bites to humans as well as domestic pets exposed to wild animals such as raccoons, bats and skunks,” Floyd County Health Department Environmental Health Manager Shane Hendrix said in a press release. “Rabies is a deadly virus that is always circulating in our wild-animal population,” Hendrix said.

Animals must be healthy, at least 12 weeks of age and on a leash or in a pet carrier. Cost for the rabies vaccination is $10.

Veterinarians from East Rome Animal Clinic, West Rome Animal Clinic and Mount Berry Animal Hospital will be giving the rabies shots.

Floyd County Animal Control staff will be assisting.

“Getting your pet vaccinated is the single best way to protect them from rabies. It’s important to do it for their protection, for our protection and because it’s state law,” Hendrix said.

Hendrix encouraged people with pets to keep rabies vaccinations up-to-date for their pets and to call Floyd County Animal Control at 706-236-4537 to remove all stray animals from neighbor- hoods since these animals may be unvaccinated or ill.

“When ‘spillover’ rabies occurs in domestic animals, the risk to humans is increased. We require pets to be vaccinated against rabies to prevent them from acquiring the disease from wildlife and possibly transmitting it to you,” Hendrix said. “The rabies vaccination protects you, too.”

For more information about the Sept. 22 rabies vaccination clinic, contact the Floyd County Environmental Health office at 706-295-6316.