Mineola, NY – In an effort to protect our pets and prevent the spread of rabies, Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano, Nassau County Department of Health and the Town of Hempstead will partner to offer free rabies vaccinations for dogs, cats and ferrets. Open to all Nassau County residents, the vaccination clinic will be held on Saturday, June 4th from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter located at 3320 Beltagh Avenue in Wantagh.
“This partnership provides an excellent opportunity for residents to protect their pets against rabies,” said County Executive Mangano. “I urge all Nassau County pet-owners to take advantage of these vaccination clinics, and I thank the Town of Hempstead for their partnership with Nassau County.”
“With the recent finding of a rabid raccoon in Hicksville, this vaccination opportunity serves as a reminder of the importance of ensuring that pets are vaccinated against rabies,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Lawrence Eisenstein. “Rabies vaccination ensures the safety of your pets and also helps protect you and your family.”
New York State law requires all dogs, cats and domesticated ferrets to be vaccinated against rabies. If an unvaccinated pet or one that’s overdue for its vaccination comes in contact with a rabid or suspected rabid animal, the pet must either be euthanized or strictly quarantined for six months. However, if a vaccinated animal comes into contact with a wild animal, it needs only a booster vaccination which must be administered within five days of exposure. To protect your family and your pet, it is absolutely essential that your animals have up-to-date rabies inoculations.
In order to visit one of these free clinics in Nassau County, all dogs are required to be on leashes and cats and ferrets must be in enclosed carriers. For additional information on rabies contact the Nassau County Department of Health at (516) 227-9663 or the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter at (516) 785-5220.