The news story of at least one puppy in a litter of unvaccinated puppies transported from North Texas to a Denver-area dog rescue that was found to have rabies prompted Dan Solomon to write the article shared here. Fred Gipson’s 1956 novel, “Old Yeller” and subsequent movie depictions of it may not be familiar to Millennials or Gen Z and likely won’t be on reading lists for Gen Alpha.
As animal health pros know, rabies is still entirely preventable . . . so long as pets are vaccinated. But, that’s the challenge and likely why a puppy that got sent to Denver had rabies. Vaccine hesitancy professed by a growing percentage of dog owners translates to a refusal to vaccinate their pets even in the face of legal requirements.
World Rabies Day will be celebrated on September 28th. Stories like Old Yeller that deeply impressed boomers and their parents provide modern-day connections to the risk of rabies and other diseases when wildlife and domestic pets meet in backyards and parks <Link>. Whether skunks, raccoons, bobcats, coyotes or feral cats, the rabies risks in 2024 cannot be ignored.
Source: Texas Monthly, August 27, 2024. Link.
If non-vaccination were to become more common, our pets, vets, and even our friends and family risk coming into contact with vaccine-preventable diseases.” – Gabriella Motta, VMD
Related: Breaking Rabies Boundaries is theme for 2024 World Rabies Day, GARC. Link.
