Rabies Vaccine Policy

Rabies Vaccine Requirement at Animal Medical Center of Surprise

At Animal Medical Center of Surprise, all pets are required to be current on their rabies vaccine (RV) in order for our team to provide medical services.

We understand that vaccines can be a source of hesitation for some people. Our rabies vaccine requirement stems from previous incidents involving unvaccinated animals which must then be quarantined by the county or veterinary hospital at the owner's expense per ARS 11-1014. For dogs, it is specifically required by Arizona law. It also protects them from accidental exposure should they escape the house or encounter an unknown animal including wildlife.

Rabies is a near 100% fatal infection in both animal and human cases. The incidence of adverse events in both dogs and cats receiving a rabies vaccine is only about 0.5% or less, with the vast majority of those events being only lethargy. So the risks of being unvaccinated are far greater than the risks of receiving a vaccine.

Waivers for vaccines are only granted to patients that have documented severe reactions, or certain immune related conditions.

We wish to provide the safest environment for both staff and pets. Unfortunately, if your beliefs do not align with ours on this aspect, we will have to decline further services.

For more information, here is a retrospective study involving over 1.2 million rabies vaccines given to cats for further information.

Thank you for helping us keep our patients, our clients, and our team healthy and safe.

-Your Medical Team at Animal Medical Center of Surprise