Discount pet vaccination clinic to be May 5

The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department's annual Rabies Vaccination Clinic will be 6 to 9 p.m. May 5 at the Third Street Fire Station, 219 East Third Street. Vaccinations will be $3. Cats must be in a carrier and dogs must be on a leash.

Rabies is a viral disease of humans, pets and wild animals, transmitted from animals to humans by the saliva of a rabid animal, usually from a bite.

"This annual clinic gives Lexington pet owners a great way to get a low-cost rabies vaccination for their pets," said Luke Mathis, Environmental Health team leader and one of the event's organizers. "This is an ideal event for pet owners who don't have a regular veterinarian or who want to save money on a rabies vaccination." Rabies vaccinations typically cost about $20.

State law requires that all dogs, cats and ferrets maintain a current rabies vaccination, and every health department in the state must hold a public clinic at least once a year. The health department gave 499 rabies shots during the May 2010 clinic.

The LFCHD Rabies Control Program received 854 animal bite reports last year.

Owners may also purchase an animal license at the clinic. It costs $8 if the animal has been spayed or neutered or $40 if the animal has not been fixed or the owner has no proof of alteration.

The Lexington Humane Society and the Lexington-Fayette County Animal Care & Control are also sponsoring the clinic. For more information call the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department's Division of Environmental Health at (859) 231-9791.