Rabies clinics planned in September for dogs, cats, and ferrets

MOBILE, Ala. — The Mobile County Health Department provides low-cost rabies shots for dogs, cats, and ferrets that are good for one year during weekend clinics. Here is a list of the rabies clinics planned during September in Mobile County:

• September 4 (Saturday), 1 to 3 p.m., City of Mobile Animal Shelter, 855 Owens Street in Mobile
• September 10 (Friday), 10 a.m. to noon, Mobile County Animal Shelter, 7665 Howell’s Ferry Road in Mobile
• September 11 (Saturday), 10 a.m. to noon, Pet Supplies Plus, 803 Hillcrest Road in Mobile
• September 18 (Saturday), 8 a.m. to noon, Eddie Smith’s Country Store, 14045 Celeste Road in Chunchula
• September 25 (Saturday), 1 to 3 p.m., B&B Pet Supplies, 5035 Cottage Hill Road in Mobile

In order to adhere to social distancing recommendations, these events will be drive-through clinics. The cost of the rabies vaccine per pet is $12. All rabies shots are payable in cash.

Each month, MCHD’s Rabies Officer provides residents with low-cost vaccines for their pet dogs, cats, and ferrets at a variety of locations. The state of Alabama tasks local health departments with providing affordable rabies vaccinations to pet owners. MCHD’s Rabies Officer has vaccinated 1,046 household pets during rabies clinics from January through July.

Rabies is a virus that attacks the central nervous system. It is transmitted from infected mammals to humans and is fatal once symptoms appear. Symptoms of rabies include unusual behavior, irritability, headache, fever, inability to eat or drink, balance problems, circling, seizures, coma, and, finally, death. All warm-blooded mammals, including humans, are susceptible to rabies.

In 2020, MCHD’s Rabies Officer vaccinated 1,599 household pets. To learn more about our program, visit https://mchd.org, find “Services,” find “Disease Control” and select “Rabies Control.”

A Rabies Quarantine Fact Sheet is available through the Alabama Department of Public Health at www.alabamapublichealth.gov/infectiousdiseases/assets/RabiesQuarantineFactSheet.pdf.