Rabies clinic in Morris sees large turnout

Local News

Discussion

COMMENTING ON STORIES:

Welcome to our story comments feature. We welcome your thoughts and your opinions, including the unpopular ones. We only ask that you keep your conversations clean, civil and on the topic of the story you are commenting on.

Coinciding with our websites redesign, we launched our new story comments feature through Disqus.

Disqus gives users the ability to log into our story comments feature so that they may be able to track their conversations, receive emails when their comments get a reply or to even have your comments update onto your Facebook or Twitter accounts.

For the time being, our story comments feature will continue to have the ability to post comments anonymously. We reserve the right to require registration in the future using your name and verified email address.

Not all comments are deemed printable. Some are disqualified at the newspaper’s discretion for a number of different reasons. Please follow our Online Rules of Conduct at all times.

RULES OF CONDUCT:

We reserve the right to remove comments that are unacceptable, to wit:

1. False and inacurate statements.
2. Personal attacks. Explicit name-calling.
3. Harassing, harmful, vulgar, obscene and defamatory language.
4. Threatening statements or statements that suggest violence.
5. Hate speech of any kind.
6. Intolerant comments on religion, race, age, gender, sexual preference or disabilities.
7. Accusations of criminal activity.
8. Content that is harmful to children and minors in any way.
9. References to any type of sexual activity and other private matters.
10. Random and inflammatory statements that are off topic.
11. Advertising of any kind.
12. Typing in all caps.

WE ENCOURAGE REASONABLE AND COURTEOUS COMMENTS THAT:

1. Create conversation on issues of interest and concern to fellow readers and local community members.
2. Express opinions and contrarian views.
3. Stimulate debate with respectful language.
4. Stay within the boundaries of these rules.

WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO SUSPEND OR TERMINATE ACCESS FOR:

1. Violating any of these Online Rules of Conduct.
2. Deliberately disrupting discussions with repetitive messages, meaningless messages or spam.
3. Misrepresentation of identity or impersonating another user.

WE WELCOME:

1. Flagging violations of these rules that you observe to our attention.

MONITORING:

We monitor comments regularly Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Approval of comments outside of this time (including weekends) will be sporadic.

comments powered by Disqus

July 20, 2012

Rabies clinic in Morris sees large turnout

By JOE MAHONEY Staff Writer The Daily Star Fri Jul 20, 2012, 03:30 AM EDT

COOPERSTOWN -- Pet owners flocked to the Morris firehouse Wednesday night to get their dogs and cats vaccinated for rabies.

The turnout was especially large -- roughly 275 animals ended up getting the free shots -- and the showing was an indication that local residents are becoming increasingly concerned with rabies, said Peggy Benjamin, Otsego County's public health nurse.

"Vaccinating your pet protects them -- but ultimately it also protects you and your family," Benjamin emphasized.

So far this year, a total of six animals have tested positive for rabies in Otsego County. The most recent positive was recorded July 11, when a stray kitten being fed by a Unadilla family went from a frisky, playful kitten to one that began aggressively biting. After the testing confirmed the case of rabies, the kitten had to be destroyed, Benjamin said.

A barn cat in Milford met a similar fate earlier this year after contracting rabies, a deadly viral disease that spreads in mammals through the bite of an infected animal.

According to the most recent rabies statistics posted by the state Health Department, Otsego County has the second highest total of rabies cases in the state.

At the end of April, it had five, trailing only Westchester County, which had 10, according to a Health Department statistical roundup. Since then, the Unadilla kitten has brought the Otsego County total to six cases of rabies. One of the first five was also a cat. Three positives were from raccoons, and the other positive came from a skunk.

Benjamin said residents of rural areas need to be especially cautious and keep up with shots for their pets because dogs and cats have more opportunities to come into contact with wildlife.

"We have a lot of wooded areas, and if you leave food out for your pet, the wildlife is going to come in for it if you don't bring it in," Benjamin said. "You really don't know what your dog or cat is doing when you leave them out in a fenced-in yard."

She said it is not clear yet whether the recent spurt in cases suggest that a trend may be emerging or whether rabies is more common now in such animals as skunks, raccoons and bats.

State law requires that all dogs, cats and ferrets be vaccinated for rabies. Benjamin said many people don't consider stray cats to be their property. But if they begin to feed those cats, the animals are then considered their property, and the new owners are obligated to line up rabies vaccines for them.

The county Health Department's next free rabies vaccination clinic will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Aug. 15 at Oneonta's Neahwa Park.

The vaccine gives one year of protection to domestic dogs and cats getting their first vaccination. Subsequently, the pets must receive booster shots, which protect them for three years.

For a pet to receive the booster shot, its owners must present the previous rabies vaccination certificate.