Remember how all of those anti-vaccine influencers have been telling you that pets don’t really need to be vaccinated? If you listen to them, you are going to risk losing your pet to a vaccine-preventable disease.
Something you don’t want to learn the hard way…
Rabies Is Killing Unvaccinated Dogs in Texas
Something you don’t want to learn only after your intentionally unvaccinated dog gets rabies!
“On August 18, 2026, the Metro Health Laboratory confirmed that a dog tested positive for the rabies virus. The dog’s owner told investigators their pet killed a baby skunk in late July near their Far Westside home inside Loop 1604. The wildlife encounter was never reported by the owner. In the weeks following the incident, the male Husky mix began displaying concerning behavioral and neurological symptoms.”
Confirmed Rabies Case Prompts Reminder to Prevent Animal Exposures
Something you don’t want to learn only after your intentionally unvaccinated dog gets rabies and bites you!
“San Antonio has recorded its first rabies case involving a dog in more than a decade after an unvaccinated Husky mix killed a skunk and later bit one of its owners while showing symptoms of the disease.”
Rabid dog reported in San Antonio bit owner, killed baby skunk prior to symptoms
A lesson that comes with:
a lost pet - they have to euthanize your pet with suspected rabies to test their brain for the virus
a series of rabies shots for yourself, after you get bitten by your rabid dog
a series of rabies shots for anyone else who might have been exposed to your rabid dog
A tragic lesson that could have been prevented if your pet had been up-to-date on their rabies shots…
And no, this isn’t the only case of an unvaccinated pet with rabies this year!
Have you heard about these recent cases?
an indoor pet cat in San Marcos, Texas
an unvaccinated pet cat in Jennings, Florida
an indoor-only pet cat in Alameda, California who may have been exposed to rabies by a bat on a balcony
Why aren’t there more?
There are - we just don’t often hear about them.
“Rabid domestic animals continue to be a concern because they are more likely to have contact with humans than are rabid wildlife. In 2018, there were 36 reported rabies cases in domestic animals (5% of all positive cases); of these rabies cases, 15 were dogs and 14 were cats (Table 2). In 2017, there were 42 reported rabies cases in domestic animals (6% of all positive cases); of these rabies cases, 20 were cats and 12 were dogs.”
Rabies in Animals, Texas - 2018
But also, most people vaccinate their pets!
Pet vaccines are necessary, and safe, with few risks.
Shocking news: When an animal doesn't have access to something that prevents a disease, they get the disease and spread it.
Get your dog a rabbies vaccine for goodness sake!