The Alabama Department of Public Health designated this past week as Rabies Awareness and Animal Bite Prevention Week. As part of that effort, the Dallas County Health Department has scheduled a number of rabies clinics to help prevent the spread of rabies.

“Rabies has gone up and down in Dallas County,” Dallas County rabies officer and Northside Animal Hospital veterinarian Dr. Lee Youngblood said. “It has started to wean down now, I don’t think that we even had a case last year, but that doesn’t mean we need to let our guard down.”

The rabies virus can infect all mammals, including humans and is always considered fatal unless preventative treatment is given following the bite.

“The main problem is we don’t know if our dog or cat is bitten, because the symptoms can be dormant for weeks or even months,” Youngblood said. “This (clinic) is just an insurance policy for pet owners, because if humans are bitten it’s a lot more expensive and painful process.”

Not only is it wise to have pets vaccinated for health reasons, it is also required.

Alabama law requires all dogs, cats and ferrets to be vaccinated against rabies as a preventative measure for the pets, but also as a buffer between humans and wildlife, that can carry the disease.

“The purpose of our clinic is to take the rabies vaccination to as many people as possible,” Youngblood said.

Clinics will be held Saturday, May 21 at the Burnsville Volunteer Fire Department from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m., Lily Grove Baptist Church from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., T.H. Willis Store from 9:30-10:30 a.m., the corner of North Avenue and Old Montgomery Highway from 10:30-11:30 a.m., Selmont Community Baptist Church from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Breach Marine from 12:30-1:30 p.m. and Casey Church of Christ from 1:30-2:30 p.m.

The cost for the inoculation will be $10.