4A Sunday, February 16, 2014 Top of Utah Pets, owners line up for rabies clinic By RANDI WESTON Standard-Examiner correspondent I y^"V GDEN — Dogs and their owners I I lined up to get into the Weber County V^/Animal Shelter on Saturday for one of the shelter's two yearly rabies clinics. In addition to having their pets vaccinated against rabies, owners were able to get their pets licensed, microchipped and vaccinated against other diseases such as Bordetella and distemper. The Weber shelter has been hosting yearly rabies clinics since 2000. At $15 per ^shot, the clinics provide an inexpensive and convenient way for people to have their dogs ^vaccinated against rabies. Lt. Chad Ferrin, director of animal ^services for Weber County, said the ^rabies shots provided at the clinic are less ^expensive than rabies shots at most animal hospitals, but the shots don't include a checkup or other personalized care that animals ^receive during a visit with a veterinarian at ;*an animal hospital. I Rick and Laurie Fronk, of Marriott-Slaterville, said they administer most 1vaccines to their 15-week-old border collie, Plrig, themselves. However, rabies vaccines must be administered by a veterinarian and j&re a requirement for dog licensing. "We do most shots ourselves, but we can't ^do rabies," said Rick Fronk, adding that he planned to take advantage of the licensing »and microchipping opportunities at the clinic as well. "Rabies is a fatal disease," said Ferrin. "If 2an animal contracts rabies, it will die." Domestic animals that haven't been ^vaccinated against rabies generally contract wthe disease through the bite, blood or saliva f an infected wild animal such as a bat or raccoon. According to Utah Administrative Code, lvaccinated domestic animals that are bitten or scratched by an animal that is suspected to be rabid are either euthanized immediately or held for six months at the owner's expense until a local health officer has made a determination on whether the domestic animal is rabid. Veterinarian Steve Lemmon, from Ogden Animal Hospital, was hard at work ——— i ROBBY LLOYD/Special to the Standard-Examiner The Weber County Animal Shelter in Ogden offered discounted rabies vaccinations and annual shots, along with microchipping and pet licensing. administering rabies vaccinations to a line of more than a dozen dogs. Ferrin estimated that 300 to 400 pets would be vaccinated over the course of the clinic. Representatives from Ogden and North Ogden were ready with laptops and Wi-Fi connections to get dogs licensed immediately following vaccinations. Dogs that were spayed or neutered were licensed for $10; dogs that were not fixed were licensed for $25 in an attempt to encourage people to have their animals fixed. Ferrin said having your pet fixed benefits the animal's health and reduces the number of animals that find their way to his shelter. Having a pet licensed and microchipped also increases the chances of that pet being returned home if it is ever lost. Eric Rios, of Plain City, waited in line with his wife, his very friendly Siberian husky and his Bluetooth-eating Shih Tzu, whom he playfully referred to as "Garbage Gut." Rios said he planned to have both his dogs vaccinated and licensed, and to have his husky microchipped. Huskies tend to be rather adept escape artists, and Rios said he'd be heartbroken if his dog, Tye, ever got lost. The next pet clinic will be held March 15 at the Weber County Animal Shelter at 1373 N. 750 West in Ogden, just north of the fairgrounds. More information can be found on the shelter's website: www.co.weber.ut.us/ animalshelter/