Documentation of Rabies Vaccination

In recent years, rabies has become more prevalent in Florida’s wildlife populations which means humans and pets are more frequently exposed to this fatal disease. Skunks, raccoons, foxes, and bats are the species that most frequently carry and transmit this disease. Rabies is most commonly transmitted through saliva when infected wild or domestic animals bite humans or other animals.

Florida’s state laws (Florida Statute, Chapter 828) require that your pet be vaccinated for rabies and establishes clear requirements for how the vaccination must be done. This vaccination serves not only to prevent the spread of the rabies virus, but is the primary factor in determining the type of medical treatment bite victims receive and how State health regulators handle your pet after he/she has bitten a human or other domestic animal.  Due to Florida’s strict regulations, some rabies vaccines performed in other states may not be recognized in Florida.  Titer testing is not recognized by the State as an alternative to vaccination.

For these reasons, it is essential that this practice be able to document the rabies vaccination status of your pet. Acceptable documentation includes a rabies certificate meeting the requirements set forth by the State.  Such a certificate should be issued by a licensed veterinarian and ideally have the date of administration, serial or lot number, and expiration date of the vaccine. We require that all clients provide this information for their pet’s medical records and keep it up date, if vaccination is not performed here. 

If you cannot substantiate the rabies vaccination status of your pet, we must consider him/her to be unvaccinated.  Prior to any other services being offered or rendered, we would need to vaccinate your pet in accordance with State law.  We are unable to provide services to unvaccinated pets.  If a patient is presented for an appointment without the proper documentation, then the appointment would be cancelled (without refund of any deposit) or changed to a vaccination appointment.

Additionally, should your pet bite someone, we are required to report the bite to the Department of Health (Florida Statute, Chapter 381 & Florida Administrative Code, Chapter 64D-3).  After the bite, the Department of Health, in cooperation with law enforcement, may issue fines and find the following public health regulations apply:

• If your pet is unvaccinated and bites any person or animal, but does not die and is not euthanized, he/she must be strictly quarantined for ten days at a facility approved by a public health officer at your expense.
• If your pet is unvaccinated, bites any person, and dies or is euthanized within ten days of the bite, his/her head may be sent to the state diagnostic laboratory for rabies testing.

As evidenced above, the rabies vaccination status of your pet can have serious consequences should he/she bite a human or another animal. If you do not have documentation of current vaccination with you, we are happy to attempt to request it from your previous veterinarian. Alternatively, if safe to do so, you may have your pet inoculated, so that he/she has valid vaccination documentation.