The Greensboro Veterinarian’s Clinic will offer a rabies clinic on June 3 geared toward vaccinating household pets. The clinic will run for one day only and will cover much of Hale County.

Louise Friday said they plan to cover as much of the county as possible based on a compiled list.

“We will go out and make a loop through the county basically,” Friday said. “We will start with a list of places and go from there.”

Friday said the tour will be geared toward smaller pets and vaccinations will be given as needed.

“We will go around and provide shots for dogs,” Friday said. “As far as small animals are concerned we will have the equipment we need with us.”

The vet clinic has been an ongoing practice for several years and Friday said they always get a good response.

The clinic is a very important service to a rural county like Hale where rabies can easily be spread to pets from wild animals. The vast majority of rabies cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention each year occur in wild animals like raccoons, skunks, bats, and foxes. Domestic animals account for less than 10 percent of the reported rabies cases, with cats and dogs among those most often reported rabid.

Dogs and cats over four months of age are required to be vaccinated against rabies and wear a current rabies license tag.

Rabies is a deadly viral disease that can be prevented but not cured.

The virus is spread through saliva and can be passed to another animal or a person, usually through a bite.

Infection may also occur if the saliva enters open wounds, the mouth, or eyes of another animal or person.

There is no treatment for rabies after symptoms of the disease appear. However, the rabies vaccine regimen provides immunity to rabies when given after an exposure or for protection before an exposure occurs.

Vaccinations are just as important for the safety of pet owners as the pets themselves. Although rabies among humans is rare in the United States, every year an estimated 18,000 people receive rabies pre-exposure vaccinations, and an additional 40,000 receive vaccinations after being exposed to rabies.