NEGAS Fall Rabies Clinic is Saturday

By MJ Kneiser, WLHR

With yet another rabies scare in Franklin County this week, you might want to make sure your pet is protected against this deadly disease by bringing them to the Northeast Georgia Animal Shelter’s Fall Rabies clinic this weekend.

The Shelter will be holding their fall rabies clinic on Saturday from 10a to 2p at the shelter on Bear Creek Road in Lavonia.

One-year rabies vaccines are $5 each, 3-yr vaccines are $10 each. The shelter will also be giving cat and dog distemper shots for $7 each.

This is the shelter’s second low-cost rabies clinics of the year and it is open to any pet owner in Franklin and surrounding counties who needs to get their pets vaccinated.

There is no cure for rabies and the danger is not only for pets, but humans too, because if an infected dog or cat bites a human, the results can be deadly if a series of post-exposure vaccines are not administered in time.

In August, the Franklin County Health Department reported a confirmed case of rabies in Lavonia.

Franklin County Environmental Health Director Louis Korff said it happened the weekend of August 17.

A fox came up in the backyard of some folks on Vickery St.,” Korff said. “It was acting very aggressively and the homeowners rightfully and justifiably shot the fox. They called the police and I had them preserve the body of the fox. I gave the folks the standard precautionary measures and made sure that first and foremost there had been no human contact with the fox and they assured me there was not.”

And just this week, a skunk got into a dog pen in Lavonia.

Korff sent the skunk carcass to be tested, but said it was likely the skunk was rabid.

Korff said these incidents are proof that a rabid wild animal can show up anywhere at anytime and it’s important to make sure your pets are protected.

“I assure you there are rabid animals out in those woods. We saw this one and there’s no telling how many we don’t see. So, stay away from wild animals, don’t feed your pets outside, and call me if you have any concerns with the wild animals you do see,” Korff advised.

Again, the rabies clinic is Saturday, October 12 at the Northeast Georgia Animal Shelter on Bear Creek Road in Lavonia from 10a to 2p.

The shelter reminds pet owners when you bring your pet, make sure cats are in a secure carrier and dogs are on a leash.