In her first-person account, Mary McNamara shares how her dog, Harley, recently tangled with a bat—a striking reminder that rabies is still present today. Thanks to vaccination, Harley and millions of other dogs remain protected. McNamara points out that the disease’s near disappearance can be traced to efforts like the Southern California Veterinary Medical Association’s public vaccination clinics launched in 1958, and the broad vaccine availability that followed nationwide in the 1970s.
Vaccinations work; what a concept.”
Source: Los Angeles Times, September 10, 2025. Link. “With vaccinations of all kinds currently under siege, including among pet owners, I offer this story as a reminder: Rabies, like many other terrible diseases, still exists and can appear in your life when you least expect it.