Suffolk County and Town of Islip Hold Free Rabies Vaccination Clinic for Dogs, Cats and Ferrets

Suffolk County and Town of Islip Hold Free Rabies Vaccination Clinic for Dogs, Cats and Ferrets

The Suffolk County Department of Health Services is joining the Town of Islip to offer free rabies vaccinations for dogs, cats and ferrets on Sunday, October 4 in Central Islip.

The event will be held at the Islip Animal Shelter, located at 200 S. Technology Drive, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Although the clinic is available to all county residents, quantity is limited and vaccines are available while supplies last. No appointment is needed. All dogs must be on a leash and all cats and ferrets must be in carriers.

Rabies, a deadly disease caused by a virus that attacks the central nervous system, is most often seen among wild animals such as raccoons, bats, skunks and foxes, but any mammal can be infected with rabies. Pets and livestock can get rabies if they are not vaccinated to protect them against infection.

New York State and Suffolk County laws require that all dogs, cats and ferrets be vaccinated against rabies. Vaccinating pets not only provides protection for the animals but also acts as a barrier to keep the rabies virus from spreading between wild animals and people. Three to six percent of bats tested annually are positive for rabies.

The Suffolk County Department of Health Services recommends the following precautions to protect your pets and your family from possible exposure to rabies:

• Do not feed, touch or transport wild or stray animals.
• Be sure dogs, cats and ferrets as well as horses and other livestock animals are up to date on their rabies vaccinations.
• Pets too young to be vaccinated should be kept indoors and allowed outside only under direct observation.
• Keep pets indoors at night.
• Do not attract wild animals to your home or yard. Keep your property free of stored bird seed or other foods that may attract wild animals. Feed pets indoors. Tightly cover or put away garbage cans. Board up any openings to your attic, basement, porch or garage. Cap your chimney with screens.
• Teach children not to touch any animal they do not know and to tell an adult immediately if they are bitten by any animal.

Techniques to keep bats from getting into buildings include:

• Not leaving unscreened doors or windows open to the outside
• Making sure windows have screens, chimneys are capped, and electrical and plumbing openings are plugged
• Sealing openings larger than 1/2 inch
• Using materials such as expanding spray-on foam, caulk, wire mesh, wood that fits tightly, steel wool (around pipes that enter buildings), or polypropylene bird netting, to seal or cover gaps and holes

Report all animal bites or contact with wild animals to the Suffolk County Department of Health Services at 631-854-0333 weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or 631-852-4820 outside business hours.

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