Hundreds of pets benefit from local rabies vaccination clinic
locally got a big booster shot as hundreds of local pets received vaccinations to help keep their pets safe from the disease.
Cedartown-Polk County Humane Society President Charlotte Harrison said the line of dogs and cats just kept coming after a morning rush on Saturday, and more than 463 pets received their vaccinations.
“This is so important for people to do for their pets, particularly with the confirmed rabies cases local to us every year,” Harrison said. “We really appreciate people coming out to help the community, and they responded by taking part.”
A number of volunteers helped out with the hundreds who came throughout the day to get their pets vaccinated, including Madison Browning, Joanne and Patrick Burke, Velvet Clay, Mike Hunter, Jan Isbell, Tori Kadner, Kim Lane, Kathy Owens, Jan Isbell and Judy Williams. Additionally, Mattie Taylor and Hailee Brand from Precious Paws helped out with nail clipping services at the clinic, and donated $160 to the Humane Society.
Dr. Angeline Ware and her assistant Amanda Rhodes came and provided the shots for local pets, and brought 500 doses of the rabies vaccine. They got close to running out, Harrison said, but it worked out.
“What we saw this year was a substantial increase in the numbers we usually have, so we’re glad that she came prepared,” Harrison said.
Though plans aren’t in the works currently for another vaccination day for 2018, Harrison said if anyone is willing to volunteer to spearhead efforts in Rockmart to provide shots for the eastern side of Polk County to prevent driving, she’d be willing to listen.
“Likely though it will be next year before we hold another vaccination day,” Harrison said.
She said the low cost vaccinations – they only cost $10 each per pet – ensure that carriers are a likely death sentence.
This is one area where it can’t be stated more clearly: it is a good idea to immediately seek medical treatment for animal bites, whether the animal is suspected to be sick or not for any reason. If not for the potential to catch any diseases that can be carried by animals and sicken humans, then for peace of mind that nothing resulted from the encounter.
Not doing so is a big enough problem that people still die from rabies in large numbers. For instance in 2015, rabies caused 17,400 deaths worldwide. Most of those in Africa and Asia, but the virus has caused suffering on every continent but Antarctica.
The Cedartown- Polk Humane Society also wants to curtail the number of dogs and cats in the community via the spay and neutering pet transport program. The West Georgia Spay/Neuter Clinic partners with the Humane Society to provide a pick-up and drop-off location for the procedure, completed at low cost.
Those wanting more information can call 678-361-7304 for more information. For those who missed the Rabies Vaccination Day for the Humane Society, the spay/ neuter transport program has vaccine and veterinary testing available for extra cost as well. dogs and cats that spend time outdoors can do so without their owners having to worry about the threat of rabies.
“People have really come to rely on our vaccination clinic,” Harrison said.
The disease is a real threat in Polk County. Already in March there has been a con Cedartown area. Three cases were reported in 2017, and nine alone in 2016.
A form of lyssavirus, rabies begins by inserting itself into a host’s cells, which then allow it to use the cells to create copes of the virus and spread. The rabies virus uses the nervous system to replicate through the body, and eventually get’s into a host’s and in turn a variety of nasty symptoms.
It starts with a feeling discomfort in the body and fever or headache. They’ll last for days, then transform into something much worse when the infection spreads from the source, generally an animal bite.
Doctors call it cerebral dysfunction, but people will generally just say an animal or human with the virus have gone “rabid.”
Universally, rabies is fatal if a human vaccination for the virus isn’t provided to patients before the start of any symptoms. Untreated animal bites from suspected