[Princes mom]

Originally Posted by Bruce's_Mom

Rabies vaccinations can be harsh and as another poster stated in some cases you can get a waiver, however even then I would reccomend titre tests, so that in the unlikely event your dog did bite someone you could prove they were not rabies positive.

Otherwise in many areas euthenasia is the only option for an unvaccinated dog that has bitten. This is because blood tests, etc are not an effective means to screen an animal for rabies after it has bitten. They must actually get a sample of brain tissue and I am sure you know what that means. Also because it is critical a human recieve human rabies immune globulin (HRIG) nearly immediately after the bite the law in most jurisdictions is to immediately euthanize a suspect animal. There is no treatment for rabies; once symptoms begin, the disease is always fatal and the law tends to error on the side of protecting human health rather than quarantining the animal.

All dogs should be vaccinated if possible. The risk is way to high if they are not. Allowing a dog to go unvaccinated exposes the dog to the risk of contracting the disease (even if it is remote in most cases), the risk of euthanasia in the event of a bite and it exposes pet owners to serious legal liabilities.

Excellent post!!