Area rabies clinics set for Saturdays

Rabies clinics are scheduled every Saturday in April in Colleton County, and two clinics are scheduled for North Charleston.

The Colleton clinics, which are part of a statewide effort to stem the spread of the deadly disease, begin Saturday at eight locations. While many clinics will take place in the Walterboro area, they also are scheduled during the month in every part of the county from Smoaks to Edisto Beach, Cottageville to Lodge.

Two clinics are scheduled for North Charleston: 9 a.m.-noon April 12 at Midland Park Elementary School, 2415 Midland Park Road, and 9 a.m.-noon May 3 at the Charleston Animal Society parking lot, 2455 Remount Road.

Sue Ferguson of the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control's Bureau of Environmental Health said DHEC has enlisted the aid of veterinarians across the state to help residents protect themselves and their pets from rabies. She said veterinarians will offer reduced-cost rabies vaccinations for pet cats and dogs. Vaccinations will cost $3 each. Dogs must be on a leash and cats should be brought in a box or carrier, she said.

Rabies is a threat to domestic and wild animals, as well as to people. There were 162 cases of rabies confirmed in animals across South Carolina in 2007. About 400 of the state's residents each year undergo preventive treatment after being bitten by an animal that is rabid or is suspected to be rabid, Ferguson said.

The cost of treating a person is about $1,000, she added.

There were no cases of rabies confirmed in Colleton County last year, or in Allendale, Bamberg, Beaufort, Calhoun, Darlington, Georgetown, Hampton, Marlboro, Oconee, Sumter or Williamsburg counties. But positive rabies cases have been reported in every South Carolina county during the past decade, she said.

"As usual, the most cases were in raccoons," Ferguson said. She said rabies was confirmed last year in 92 raccoons, 32 foxes, 14 skunks, 10 bats, seven cats, three dogs, two bobcats and two cows.

"Rabies is fatal once it is contracted, but pets can be protected," Ferguson said. She said vaccinating all dogs and cats is the most effective way to protect pets and humans from rabies. More than 33,000 pets were vaccinated against rabies during clinics statewide last year.

She said state law requires every pet cat and dog to be vaccinated against rabies by a licensed veterinarian. The minimum age to vaccinate puppies and kittens is 3 months. Each pet is required to wear a numbered metal license tag attached to a collar or harness.

The owner of an unvaccinated domestic pet can be found guilty of a misdemeanor and fined up to $500 or imprisoned up to 30 days.

"The threat of rabies still exists, so we encourage all pet owners to have their dogs and cats vaccinated," Ferguson said.

For information about rabies, see www.scdhec.gov/rabies. A list of rabies vaccination clinics planned statewide is available at scdhec.gov./health/envhlth/general_sanitation/rabies_clinics.htm.

Rabies clinics

Several rabies vaccination clinics are being sponsored by the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control, Colleton County Environmental Health Services and area veterinarians. Vaccination fee: $3. Dogs must be on a leash, and cats should be in a box or carrier.

Colleton County clinics

Saturday

--8:30 a.m.-9:45 a.m., Village Grocery (Fisk's), Walterboro, Morrison's Veterinary Clinic.

--8:30 a.m.-Noon, Hampton Street Elementary School, Walterboro, Deloach Veterinary Clinic.

--10 a.m.-10:30 a.m., Forest Circle Middle School, Walterboro, Morrison's Veterinary Clinic.

--10:45 a.m.-11:30 a.m., Old Hendersonville School, Morrison's Veterinary Clinic.

--1:15 p.m.-2:30 p.m., Stop-n-Shop, Sniders, Morrison's Veterinary Clinic.

--1:30 p.m.-2 p.m., Edisto District Fire Station, Highway 217, Springtown, Deloach Veterinary Clinic.

--2:15 p.m.-4 p.m., Grubers Grocery, Round O, DeLoach Veterinary Clinic.

--3 p.m.-3:30 p.m., Islandton Fire Station, Morrison's Veterinary Clinic.

April 12

--8:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m., Bells Elementary School, Deloach Veterinary Clinic.

--10:45 a.m.-Noon, Ruffin Community Center, Deloach Veterinary Clinic.

--11 a.m.-12:15 p.m., Cottageville Town Hall, Morrison's Veterinary Clinic.

--12:15 p.m.-1 p.m., Williams Fire Station, Deloach Veterinary Clinic.

--12:30 p.m.-1 p.m., Jacksonboro Fire Station, Morrison's Veterinary Clinic.

--2 p.m.-3 p.m., Lodge Fire Station, Deloach Veterinary Clinic.

--2:30 p.m.-3:15 p.m., Neyles Fire Station, Morrison's Veterinary Clinic.

--3:30 p.m.-4 p.m., Wood Brothers Grocery, Green Pond, Morrison's Veterinary Clinic.

--3:30 p.m.-5 p.m., Old Health Care Center, Smoaks, Deloach Veterinary Clinic.

April 19

--8 a.m.-11:30 a.m., Ruth's Grocery, Cottageville, Campbell Veterinary Clinic.

--1 p.m. -2:30 p.m., Northside Pak-a-Sak, Walterboro, Campbell Veterinary Clinic.

--1 p.m.-3 p.m., Main's Nursery, Edisto Beach, Morrison's Veterinary Clinic.

--3 p.m.-3:30 p.m., Jonesville Fire Station, Campbell Veterinary Clinic.

--4 p.m.-4:30 p.m., White Hall Fire Station, Campbell Veterinary Clinic.

April 26

--Noon-4 p.m., Campbell Veterinary Clinic, Walterboro.

North Charleston clinics

April 12

--9 a.m. to noon., Midland Park Elementary School, 2415 Midland Park Road.

May 3

--9 a.m. to noon, Charleston Animal Society parking lot, 2455 Remount Road.

Reach Edward C. Fennell at 745-5865.

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