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'PROTECT YOUR PET <br />What You May Not Know <br />About Rabies Vaccinations <br />Vaccinate At 4 Months And After! <br />• All dogs, cats and ferrets are required to be vaccinated at 4 months of age (even if they are <br />indoor animals). All dogs are required to wear a current rabies tag. Cats and ferrets are <br />subject to this requirement as well (unless a local exemption exists). Once vaccinated, contact <br />your veterinarian and schedule a booster for your pet before their rabies vaccine becomes <br />overdue to ensure your pet is current and that their vaccination never lapses. <br />It Takes 28 Days For The First Shot To Protect <br />• An animal receiving its first dose of rabies vaccine is not protected until at least 28 days after <br />the vaccine is given, and is treated as unvaccinated until that time. <br />After The First Shot, Vaccines Protect Immediately <br />• Animals that have been vaccinated before in their lifetime are considered protected <br />immediately upon receiving subsequent vaccinations. This is true even if there is a lapse <br />between vaccinations, unless the animal has already had a potential rabies exposure. <br />A Current Vaccination Is Not Enough If Your Pet Is Exposed <br />• Vaccinated animals that have contact with a rabid animal MUST be re- vaccinated within 5 <br />days (120 hours) of the exposure. If not, the animal is treated as unvaccinated. <br />Identify Your Pet! <br />• Roaming, unidentified animals that bite someone can be euthanized 72 hours after a bite. <br />Wearing required tags, as well as personal ID tags and microchips, will help protect your pet. <br />Unvaccinated Animals Must Be Euthanized Or Quarantined At <br />Your Cost If Exposed <br />Unvaccinated animals that could have contact with a rabid animal <br />(or an animal that may carry rabies) MUST be euthanized or <br />quarantined for 6 months (see below) to ensure that the animal is not <br />going to develop rabies as a result of the exposure. <br />Animals With Expired Vaccinations Are Treated <br />As Unvaccinated <br />• An animal whose vaccination has expired must be euthanized <br />immediately or quarantined for 6 months if exposed to rabies. <br />Quarantines of this kind are almost always at a veterinarian's office <br />and the owner is responsible for the cost, which can easily add up to <br />thousands of dollars. <br />These requirements are from North Carolina's General Statutes <br />Created by Orange County Animal Services wum. orangecountync .gov /animalservices <br />