One of my Mom’s favorite books is “To Kill A Mockingbird”. We have seen that movie so many times that Tax and I could play the major characters in a dog production of the book.

What does that have to do with rabies?

This is how my mom first learned about rabies. In chapter 10 of the book, Atticus is summoned home to deal with a “mad dog”. Atticus is given a rifle by the sheriff and shoots the animal, killing the dog with his first shot.  That is how they dealt with rabies back in the day, and that is how they deal with rabid animals today.

One day last week, a man got out of his car at a repair shop in Tyrone, Georgia. His greeting was less than hospitable.

A fox attacked him. The man fought back giving the fox a hard kick in the ribs. The hard kick had no affect on the fox. He simply rolled over and resumed the attack. The man later stated that he knew the fox was rabid from 30 feet away. The man tried to spook the fox, but the fox did not back off.  The fox bit the man on the arm.

Unfortunately, tests prove that the fox was rabid and now the man must undergo a series of shots to save his own life.

The fox moved on to the next door neighbors’. Gordon Sweet was trying to keep the fox contained in some wooden crates, but the fox bolted out and kept on attacking despite the fact that it was being sprayed with a fire extinguisher.  At last, a Tyrone police officer arrived to deal with the fox in the same manner used by Atticus Finch and now there are two men that must undergo those shots.

Shooting a fox is one thing. But what if you had to shoot the family dog?

Rabies is a disease that causes encephalitis in warm-blooded animals. The disease is transmitted by animals most commonly through a bite. If you are bitten by a rabid animal and you do not take the shots, you will die! The incubation period of rabies in humans is usually a few months, depending on where the bite is located in relation to the central nervous system.

97% of rabies cases are from the bite of a dog. Here in the US, animal control facilities have effectively eliminated rabies in domesticated animals through vaccinations.  The United Kingdom, Australia and Japan have eradicated rabies entirely in animals that live on the ground.  This is a serious problem and it gets worse every year in the US.

Getting your dog a vaccine to protect him and you from rabies is not an option! In fact, in most places it is against the law for a domesticated animal to remain un-vaccinated.

Today, there are some choices about how often your dog must have the injection. There are one and three year vaccines. Talk to your vet about the options most appropriate for your needs.

And yes, I do know the story of Old Yeller. I have elected not to mention this here because it always makes me very sad!

Call the vet, TODAY!