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Chapter 6, Section 23,
Vaccination against Rabies - Every person owning a dog with in the city,
before obtaining a license for such
 dog,
shall present satisfactory evidence that the dog for which such license is
bought has been vaccinated against rabies within seven months of the time
application is made for such license.
Chapter 6, Section 6-38,
dogs and cats; Before any impounded dog or cat is released, there shall be
paid to the Dog and Cat Shelter, a boarding fee for each day or fraction
thereof that the dog or cat is impounded, the amount to be determined by the
Shelter Manager with direction from the Shelter Board, the amount to be
reasonable and customary for such fees in the region. In addition, a poundmaster's fee of ten dollars for each neutered male or spayed
female; provided that proof of such neuter or spay is furnished to a
representative of the Dog and Cat Shelter, or a fee of twenty-five
dollars for each un-neutered male or un-spayed female over the age of
six months, plus the license fee for any unlicensed dog. The
certification for inoculation of rabies from a veterinarian must also be
exhibited before any dog may be released.
Vaccinations for Cats
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Vaccines protect animals and people from specific viral
and bacterial infections. They are not a treatment. If your companion cat
gets sick because he is not properly vaccinated, the vaccinations should
be given after your pet recovers.
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Kittens should be vaccinated with a combination vaccine
(called a 3 in 1) at 2, 3 and 4 months of age and then annually. This
vaccine protects cats from panleukopenia (also called feline distemper),
calicivirus and rhinotracheitis (flu-like viruses). If you have an
unvaccinated cat older than 4 months of age, he needs a series of two
vaccinations given 2 to 3 weeks apart, followed by a yearly vaccination.
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There is a vaccine available for feline leukemia virus
(FeLV). This is one of the two immune system viruses (retroviruses) that
infect cats. The other is feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). There is no
vaccine available for FIV. Cats can be infected with either virus for
months to years without any indication that they are carrying a fatal
virus. You cannot look at cats or kittens and know if they are infected—a
blood test is necessary. All cats should be tested for these viruses.
Infections can be transmitted at birth from the mother or by being bitten
by an infected cat. Neither virus can infect humans. Many outdoor and
stray cats and kittens carry this infection. Because of the fatal nature
of these diseases, you should not expose the cats already living in your
home by taking in untested cats or kittens. To be safe, keep your cat
indoors, but if your cat does go outside, he should be vaccinated against
feline leukemia virus. No vaccine is 100 percent effective.
Vaccinations for Dogs
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Vaccines
protect animals and people from specific viral and bacterial infections.
They are not a treatment. If your pet gets sick because he is not properly
vaccinated, the vaccination should be given after your companion animal
recovers.
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Puppies
should be vaccinated with a combination vaccine (called a 5 in 1) at 2, 3
and 4 months of age and then once annually. This vaccine protects the
puppy from distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parvovirus, and
parainfluenza. A puppy’s vaccination program cannot be finished before
four months of age. Rottweilers, Doberman pinschers and American
Staffordshire terriers/pit bulls should be vaccinated until five months of
age. If you have an unvaccinated dog older than four or five months, the
dog needs a series of two vaccinations given two to three weeks apart,
followed by a yearly vaccination. Do not walk your puppy or your
unvaccinated dog outside or put her on the floor of an animal hospital
until several days after her final vaccination.
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Since
laws vary around the country, contact a local veterinarian for information
on rabies vaccination. In New York City, for example, the law requires all
pets older than three months of age to be vaccinated for rabies. The first
rabies vaccine must be followed by a vaccination a year later and then
every three years.
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Other
vaccines for dogs are appropriate in certain situations. Your dog’s
veterinarian can tell you about these vaccines.
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