Greetings All! Things are unfolding much faster than I expected on annual rabies laws in the country, sorry for the frequent posts, but I do want to keep you updated.

Kris

WYOMING Rabies Laws--ACTION ALERT!!!

Following a 3/22/08 article entitled Vaccine overkill? in the Wyoming News Wyoming Tribune-Eagle Online by Baylie Davis and inspired by encouraging developments in Kansas, Wyoming dog breeders have contacted Wyoming's Governor, Attorney General as well as the Mayor of Cheyenne imploring the state to adopt the national standard of a 3 year rabies vaccination protocol. They need your assistance to help them get the annual rabies booster ordinances in the state changed.

What You Can Do To Help

Please contact any/or all of the Wyoming public officials listed below. You can copy and paste e-mail addresses listed. I will be sending a letter of support as well and will keep you updated on developments. After the Wyoming contact list, there will be updated information on rabies law efforts in Kansas and Arkansas as well.

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Wyoming Contacts

Attorney General Bruce A. Salzburg Phone: (307) 777-7841 Fax: (307) 777-6869; Consumer Protection Division 307-777-7874 or 1-800-438-5799 Fax: 307-777-7956

Governor Dave Freudenthal Phone: 307-777-7434 Fax: 307-632-3909 (fax) ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

Cheyenne Mayor Jack Spiker Phone: (307) 637-6200; Fax: (307)637-6378; City Council: Phone: (307) 637-6357 Fax: (307)637-6356 ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

Wyoming Legislators

Legislator E-Mail List ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

Kansas Rabies Law Update & Arkansas Dog Owners Organizing to Challenge Arkansas Rabies Laws

Kansas: Dog owners have started a petition to get annual rabies laws in the state changed to the national 3 year standard. They are planning to have petitions available for dog owners to sign at the upcoming Yappy Days event on March 29th from 9-4 at the Kansas Coliseum, Pavilion II Kissin' Country 102.1 :: Today's Best Country and All Time Favorites! . The petition is posted online at http://www.thepetitionsite.com:80/1/...ion-in-Wichita . Activities in Kansas were sparked by a March 18, 2008 article in the Wichita Eagle entitled, Are Annual Shots a Risk for Dogs? Kansas.com | 03/18/2008 | Are annual shots a risk for dogs? by Diane McCartney.

Arkansas: Dog owners are organizing to change their annual rabies laws. A Yahoo group, Arkansas Rabies Vaccine Info ARVaccineInfo : Arkansas Rabies Vaccine Info has been started to coordinate efforts, please join if you are interested.
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Wichita to Form Rabies Vaccination Committee

I received the notice below on March 25, 2008. How unfortunate that Wichita is not including a member of their dog-owning public on this committee.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Kay Johnson, Director of Environmental Services, 268-8351

City to Form Rabies Vaccination Committee


The City of Wichita is forming an ad hoc committee to review the schedule for rabies vaccinations, Interim Wichita City Manager Ed Flentje announced on Tuesday.

The committee will review the latest information on rabies prevention and control and make recommendations, said Kay Johnson, Director of Environmental Services.

Committee members will be announced at a later date.

“The committee will be primarily comprised of local veterinarians and public health officials,” Johnson said. “Rabies is a very serious issue and potentially fatal. We want to make sure that people and pets are protected.”

The committee recommendations will be provided to the City Manager as part of a broader and ongoing animal ordinance review. The ordinance review is scheduled to be presented to the Wichita City Council later this year.

For further questions, Johnson can be reached at or 268-8351.
__________________________________________________ ____________________________________________
Thank you all for your incredible efforts in Maine and Kansas! You are making a huge difference in the lives of dogs everywhere. You are proving Margaret Mead correct when she said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

Regards, Kris

Udate -- WYOMING RABIES LAWS

To update you on Wyoming, below is a copy of a letter I sent on March 30th to state officials.

On Thursday, I had an e-mail from Representative Sue Wallis , who said, The Wyoming Legislature has no intention of usurping what rightfully belongs to the cities, towns, and counties. I do not know if she is reflecting the sentiment of all members of Wyoming's Legislature, but it certainly is contrary to the declaration she makes on her website Home that With hard work, and your help, I know that we will be able to accomplish good legislation, and hopefully argue against that which is unnecessary, expensive, unproductive or harmful to the citizens of Campbell County and the State of Wyoming.

The following quote is from the Center for Disease Control's MMWR Recommendations and Reports March 22, 1991/40(RR03);1-19 Rabies Prevention-- United States, 1991 Recommendations of the Immunization Practices Advisory Committee Rabies Prevention -- United States, 1991 Recommendations of the Immunization Practices Advisory Committee (ACIP)

"A fully vaccinated dog or cat is unlikely to become infected with rabies, although rare cases have been reported (48). In a nationwide study of rabies among dogs and cats in 1988, only one dog and two cats that were vaccinated contracted rabies (49). All three of these animals had received only single doses of vaccine; no documented vaccine failures occurred among dogs or cats that had received two vaccinations. " .

March 30, 2008

Governor Dave Freudenthal Attorney General Bruce A. Salzburg
State Capitol, 200 West 24th Street State Capitol, 200 West 24th Street
Cheyenne, WY 82002-0010 Cheyenne, WY 82002-0010


WYOMING’S ANNUAL RABIES LAWS/ORDINANCES

Greetings Governor Freudenthal and General Salzburg:

The time for Wyoming to adopt a uniform, state-wide 3 year canine rabies immunization protocol conforming to the national standard is long overdue. Scientific data demonstrating a minimum duration of immunity for the canine rabies vaccine of 3 years by challenge and 7 years serologically was incorporated into the 2003 American Animal Hospital Association’s Canine Vaccine Guidelines more than 5 years ago.

Because the rabies vaccine is the most potent of the veterinary vaccines and associated with significant adverse reactions, it should not be given more often than is necessary to maintain immunity. Adverse reactions such as autoimmune diseases affecting the thyroid, joints, blood, eyes, skin, kidney, liver, bowel and central nervous system; anaphylactic shock; aggression; seizures; epilepsy; and fibrosarcomas at injection sites are linked to rabies vaccinations.

The rabies is a “killed” vaccine and contains adjuvants to enhance the immunological response. In 1999, the World Health Organization " classified veterinary vaccine adjuvants as Class III/IV carcinogens with Class IV being the highest risk," [1] and the results of a study published in the August 2003 Journal of Veterinary Medicine documenting fibrosarcomas at the presumed injection sites of rabies vaccines stated, “In both dogs and cats, the development of necrotizing panniculitis at sites of rabies vaccine administration was first observed by Hendrick & Dunagan (1992).” [2] According to the 2003 American Animal Hospital Association’s Canine Vaccine Guidelines, "...killed vaccines are much more likely to cause hypersensitivity reactions (e.g., immune-mediated disease)."

Many, if not all, annual rabies vaccines are the 3 year vaccine relabeled for annual use -- Colorado State University's Small Animal Vaccination Protocol for its veterinary teaching hospital states: “Even with rabies vaccines, the label may be misleading in that a three year duration of immunity product may also be labeled and sold as a one year duration of immunity product.” Wyoming city laws/ordinances requiring annual rabies boosters do not enhance an animal’s immunity and needlessly expose dogs to the risk of adverse reactions. The American Veterinary Medical Association's 2001 Principles of Vaccination state that “Unnecessary stimulation of the immune system does not result in enhanced disease resistance, and may increase the risk of adverse post-vaccination events.”

Of importance to policy makers is data indicating that compliance rates are no higher in states with annual rabies immunization requirements than in those with triennial protocols. A 2002 report compiled by the Banfield Corporation for the Texas Department of Health on rabies vaccination rates determined that a “comparison of the one-year states and the three-year states demonstrates no difference in the delinquency rates” and that, “A paucity of scientific data exists to demonstrate a clear public health benefit of a one-year vaccination protocol versus a three-year vaccination protocol.” [3]

The Center for Disease Control’s National Association of State Public Health Veterinarian's Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control 2007 recommends that: "Vaccines used in state and local rabies-control programs should have at least a 3-year minimum duration of immunity.” They state further that, “No laboratory or epidemiologic data exist to support the annual or biennial administration of 3- or 4-year vaccines following the initial series.”

Medical, epidemiological, and scientific data, as well as the recommendations of the Center for Disease Control’s National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians’ Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control 2007 and the American Animal Hospital Association’s Canine Vaccine Guidelines for 2003 and 2006 evidence the need for Wyoming to revise its state-wide rabies immunization requirements for dogs by adopting the national 3 year standard in all municipalities.

Perhaps Attorney General Salzburg’s department could issue a legal opinion on whether or not municipalities with annual rabies vaccination requirements are violating Wyoming’s consumer protection laws by mandating that dog owners pay for yearly veterinary procedures from which their animals derive no benefit.

I strongly urge you to conform all of the state’s rabies immunization requirements to the 3 year standard so that Wyoming dogs are no longer put at unnecessary risk of harmful side affects by being forced to receive medically unwarranted annual rabies boosters.

Sincerely,

Kris L. Christine
Founder, Co-Trustee
THE RABIES CHALLENGE FUND

cc: Cheynne Mayor Jack Spiker
Cheyenne City Council
Director of Department of Agriculture, John Etchepare
Deputy Director of Department of Agriculture, Jason Fearneyhough
Wyoming Legislature

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[1] IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans: Volume 74, World Health Organization, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Feb. 23-Mar. 2, 1999, p. 24, 305, 310.

[2] Fibrosarcomas at Presumed Sites of Injection in Dogs: Characteristics and Comparison with Non-vaccination Site Fibrosarcomas and Feline Post-vaccinal Fibrosarcomas; Journal of Veterinary Medicine, Series A August 2003, vol. 50, no. 6, pp. 286-291(6)

[3] The White Paper, Texas Department of Public Health, Zoonosis Control, Options for Rabies Vaccination of Dogs and Cats in Texas, 2002


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WYOMING Rabies Laws--Update

To update you on efforts to change Wyoming's rabies laws, on Saturday April 12, 2008, an article entitled Changes to Vaccine Ordinance Unlikely Wyoming Tribune-Eagle Online was published in the Wyoming News.

Below is a copy of a letter to the editor I sent to the paper this morning.

What You Can Do To Help

1.) Contact Cheyenne Mayor Jack Spiker Phone: (307) 637-6200; Fax: (307)637-6378
2.) Leave a comment on the newspaper article at Wyoming Tribune-Eagle Online
3.) Write a letter to the editor of the Wyoming News (Scott Smith) Fax: 307-633-3189

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April 14, 2008

To the Editor:

There are a number of issues in the April 12, 2008 article entitled Changes to Vaccine Ordinance Unlikely that need to be addressed.

The state veterinarian, Dr. Walter Cook, seems to be unaware that the national organization of which he is supposed to be a member, the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians (NASPHV), currently recommends a 3 year rabies vaccination protocol in their 2008 Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control and has done so since at least 2001. The American Veterinary Medical Association also endorses the NASPHV’s 3 year rabies immunization protocol.

Contrary to Dr. Cook’s statement, veterinarians are not required to report adverse reactions to vaccines and the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) stated in 2007 there is “gross under-reporting of vaccine-associated adverse events which impedes knowledge of the ongoing safety of these products.” In an article entitled, A New Approach to Reporting Medication and Device Adverse Effects and Product Problems, (JAMA - June 2, 1993. Vol.269, No.21) Dr. David Kessler, former head of the Food & Drug Administration, reported that "only about 1% of serious events are reported to the FDA."

Studies demonstrating long-term (more than 3 years) duration of immunity for the canine rabies vaccine have already been published. In 1992, a French research team led by Michel Aubert published the results of a rabies challenge study in Scientific Technical Review (Rev. sci.tech. Off. int. Epiz.) 1992, 11 (3), 735-760 in which they demonstrated that dogs were immune to a rabies challenge 5 years after vaccination. The serological studies of Dr. Ronald Schultz of the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine showed that dogs had antibody titers counts at levels known to confer immunity to rabies 7 years after vaccination, the results of which have been incorporated into the 2003, 2006 American Animal Hospital Association’s Canine Vaccine Guidelines as well as WSAVA’s 2007 Vaccine Guidelines.

Because the rabies vaccine is the most potent of the veterinary vaccines and associated with significant adverse reactions, it should not be given more often than is necessary to maintain immunity. Adverse reactions such as autoimmune diseases affecting the thyroid, joints, blood, eyes, skin, kidney, liver, bowel and central nervous system; anaphylactic shock; aggression; seizures; epilepsy; and fibrosarcomas at injection sites are linked to rabies vaccinations.

Rabies is a “killed” vaccine and contains adjuvants to enhance the immunological response. Mercury (Thimersol) is commonly found as a preservative in killed, adjuvanted veterinary vaccines such as Rabies, Leptospira, and Lyme. The combination of mercury with adjuvant components (aluminum hydroxide, aluminum phosphate) are of considerable concern because of the reactive properties of aluminum, when in contact with mercury. Reactivity with aluminum is so acute that mercury may not be packed in checked or carry-on baggage on commercial airplanes, and there is currently a petition to Congress Petition to Congress, Removal of Aluminum Additive in Vaccines Resolution and Petition, citing as cause for removing aluminum in human vaccines that: "The combination of mercury plus aluminum is far worse than the sum of the two toxicities added together. The synergistic toxicity could be increased to unknown levels."

In 1999, the World Health Organization "classified veterinary vaccine adjuvants as Class III/IV carcinogens with Class IV being the highest risk," and the results of a study published in the August 2003 Journal of Veterinary Medicine documenting fibrosarcomas at the presumed injection sites of rabies vaccines stated, “In both dogs and cats, the development of necrotizing panniculitis at sites of rabies vaccine administration was first observed by Hendrick & Dunagan (1992).” According to the 2003 American Animal Hospital Association’s Canine Vaccine Guidelines, "...killed vaccines are much more likely to cause hypersensitivity reactions (e.g., immune-mediated disease)."

A clarification on the Postmarketing Surveillance of Rabies Vaccines for Dogs to Evaluate Safety and Efficacy referenced in the story. Only the 246 adverse reactions to the rabies vaccine reported directly to the Center for Veterinary Biologics by the public, veterinarians, and pet owners had 72% of the dogs receiving other vaccines or drugs at the same time as the rabies shot. That is not stated to be the case further on in the report where they discuss the 10,000 adverse reactions reported by the rabies vaccine manufacturers, 65% of which were in dogs.

If the 6,500 of canine adverse rabies vaccine reactions reported by the vaccine manufacturers represents "only about 1% of serious events are reported to the FDA,” then that would translate into 650,000 if all reactions were reported.

Cheyenne Mayor Jack Spiker and State Public Health Veterinarian, Dr. Cook, should be guided by the recommendations of the CDC’s National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians and the American Veterinary Medical Association to determine the state’s and city’s rabies immunization protocols rather than seeking the advice of local animal shelters and veterinary practitioners to determine appropriate protocols.

Sincerely,

Kris L. Christine
Founder, Co-Trustee
THE RABIES CHALLENGE FUND

4/29/08 Wyoming Rabies Law -- Cheyenne to Change to 3 Years!!! and ISDRA--International Sled Dog Racing Association

Once again, dog lovers are helping to bring about great changes for dogs with active participation on rabies laws -- THANK YOU to all of you who have been assisting in these efforts -- it's working!

Kris

Wyoming update: The e-mail below, shared with permission from the recipient, from the President of the Cheyenne City Council, Don Pierson, was received 4/29/08 by the lead activist in Wyoming, Karon Volk:

"Hello Mrs. Volk Just a followup to let you know that the Mayor and I are working together and have instructed the city attorney to prepare an ordinance or a resolution to take care of the 1 year vs 3 year problem. All the research I have found says that to require our city residents to get the vaccination for their pets every year is unnecessary. I will let you know when it will be ready for introduction and would hope that you would like to attend our meetings and testify about the situation. Let me know if there is anything else I can do at this time about this situation. Thanks for all your info you provided and your concern."

ISDRA-International Sled Dog Racing Association: After Steve Goldman, a concerned ISDRA member, contacted the International Sled Dog Racing Association about ISDRA sanctioned races requiring annual rabies vaccinations for sled dogs and asked for assistance, I wrote the letter to the Executive Director Below. Mr. Steele responded immediately and will be publishing announcements in 2 issues of Dog and Driver before the proposal comes before the full ISDRA Board.

What You Can Do

If you are concerned about racing events that require sled dogs to receive redundant annual rabies boosters, please e-mail Dave Steele at

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March 18, 2008

Mr. Dave Steele, Executive Director
International Sled Dog Racing Association
22702 Rebel Road
Merrifield, MN 56465, USA
E-mail:

Greetings Mr. Steele:


One of the objectives listed in the International Sled Dog Racing Association’s (ISDRA) Constitution and By-Laws under Article II C is to: “Promote the welfare of sled dogs in all activities and endeavors.” Further on, under Article IX Section 2 A 4, it declares one of the duties of the Animal Welfare Committee shall be to: “Inform the membership of new advances in canine nutrition and all areas related to the physical and mental well-being of sled dogs."

With those objectives and the physical and mental well-being of sled dogs in mind, I am writing to request that ISDRA’s Board of Directors seriously consider alerting its membership to the potential health hazards associated with redundant annual rabies vaccinations, which some U.S. and Canadian races require for team entrants.

Annual rabies vaccinations after the initial puppy series are medically unnecessary and contrary to the recommendations of the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) National Association of State Public Health Veterinarian's (NASPHV) Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control which declare that: "Vaccines used in state and local rabies control programs should have at least a 3-year duration of immunity,”[1] and should be administered no more often than specified by the product label or package insert. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) endorses a 3 year protocol as does the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA).[2]

Many, if not most or all, annual rabies vaccines are the 3 year vaccine relabeled for annual use. According to Dr. Ronald Schultz of the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, whose canine vaccine studies form a large part of the scientific base for the 2003 and 2007 AAHA Canine Vaccine Guidelines as well as the World Small Animal Veterinary Association’s (WSAVA) Vaccine Guidelines, “There is no benefit from annual rabies vaccination and most one year rabies products are similar or identical to the 3-year products with regard to duration of immunity and effectiveness.”[3]

Because the rabies vaccine is the most potent of the veterinary vaccines and associated with significant adverse reactions, it should not be given more often than is necessary to maintain immunity. Adverse reactions such as autoimmune diseases affecting the thyroid, joints, blood, eyes, skin, kidney, liver, bowel and central nervous system; anaphylactic shock; aggression; seizures; epilepsy; and fibrosarcomas at injection sites are linked to rabies vaccinations.

Rabies is a “killed” vaccine, for which internationally accepted scientific data have demonstrated a minimum duration of immunity of 3 years by challenge and 7 years serologically. The rabies vaccine, and other killed vaccines such as Leptospira and Lyme, contains adjuvants such as aluminum hydroxide, aluminum phosphate, and aluminum potassium sulfate to enhance the immunological response. In 1999, the World Health Organization "classified veterinary vaccine adjuvants as Class III/IV carcinogens with Class IV being the highest risk,"[4] and the results of a study published in the August 2003 Journal of Veterinary Medicine documenting fibrosarcomas at the presumed injection sites of rabies vaccines stated, “In both dogs and cats, the development of necrotizing panniculitis at sites of rabies vaccine administration was first observed by Hendrick & Dunagan (1992).” [5] According to the 2003 AAHA Canine Vaccine Guidelines, "...killed vaccines are much more likely to cause hypersensitivity reactions (e.g., immune-mediated disease)."[6]

With the physical challenges of the trail to meet, sled dogs should not be exposed to the health hazards associated with medically unwarranted annual rabies boosters in order to enter racing events. I strongly urge you to inform your membership of the potential risks associated with unnecessary annual rabies vaccinations and request that ISDRA only sanction races that conform to the 3 year standard recommended by the Center for Disease Control’s National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians, the American Veterinary Medical Association, and the American Animal Hospital Association.

If you have any questions or would like copies of the material referenced above, please contact me at [redacted].

Sincerely,

Kris L. Christine
Founder, Co-Trustee
The Rabies Challenge Fund


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[1] Center for Disease Control’s National Association of State Public Health Veterinarian's Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control http://www.nasphv.org/Documents/RabiesCompendium.pdf

[2]The American Veterinary Medical Association’s 2007 RABIES VACCINATION PROCEDURES www.avma.org/products/scientific/biologics.pdf

The 2006 American Animal Hospital Association's Canine Vaccine Guidelines are downloadable in PDF format at About AAHA

[3] What Everyone Needs to Know about Canine Vaccines, Dr. Ronald Schultz What Everyone Needs to Know About Canine Vaccines

Duration of Immunity to Canine Vaccines: What We Know and Don't Know, Dr. Ronald Schultz Duration of Immunity

World Small Animal Veterinary Association 2007 Vaccine Guidelines - WSAVA - Scientific Advisory Committee Scroll down to Vaccine Guidelines 2007 (PDF)

[4] IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans: Volume 74, World Health Organization, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Feb. 23-Mar. 2, 1999, p. 24, 305, 310

[5] Fibrosarcomas at Presumed Sites of Injection in Dogs: Characteristics and Comparison with Non-vaccination Site Fibrosarcomas and Feline Post-vaccinal Fibrosarcomas; Journal of Veterinary Medicine, Series A August 2003, vol. 50, no. 6, pp. 286-291(6)

[6] The 2003 American Animal Hospital Association's Canine Vaccine Guidelines are accessible online at Special Report

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More information on the rabies vaccine can be found at the following links :

Animal Wellness Magazine Article Vol. 8 Issue 6, How Often Does he REALLY Need A Rabies Shot Animal Wellness Magazine - devoted to natural health in animals

The Rabies Challenge Animal Wise Radio Interview
Listen to Animal Wise (scroll down to The Rabies Challenge 12/9/07)

The Vaccine Challenge Animal Talk Naturally Online Radio Show » The Vaccine Challenge - Show #91

WYOMING RABIES LAWS--9/30/08 Update

To update you on the change in Cheyenne, Wyomning's rabies ordinances to adopt the national 3 year protocol, there is an article in the September 27, 2008 issue of the Wyoming Eagle Tribune entitled Council Mulls Less Frequent Rabies Shots Wyoming Tribune Eagle Online by Jodi Rogstad.

"Good news for dog and cat owners: Instead of the annual rabies shot for your furry friends, that requirement may change to as little as once every three years."

CHEYENNE, WY RABIES ORDINANCE -- MEETING 10/13/08 CITY COUNCIL 6:00

Posted with Permission, Permission given to Cross-post

YOUR HELP IS NEEDED!
The proposed rabies ordinance will be given second reading before the City Council at the meeting tomorrow night. Members of the audience will be given a chance to speak on the new ordinance, then the council members will discuss and vote on whether to adopt the new ordinance. If the council votes in favor of the ordinance, it will be scheduled for a third, and final, reading at the next council meeting. If passed at the third and final reading, it will be adopted and pets will be permitted to be vaccinated for rabies once every three years instead of every year and, if we are successful, there will be a provision for a vet to provide a written waiver of vaccination for an unhealthy animal. Your attendance at the council meeting tomorrow night is so very important. I cannot stress enough how much we need you to be there and let the council know you are in favor of the new ordinance, as proposed and amended. I know many of us are not great public speakers, but all that is needed is for you to go to the podium, state your name and address and say you are in favor of the new ordinance and ask that the members of council vote in favor of it. That's it! PLEASE, if you able to do that, your help will be truly appreciated, not just by me, but the many pet owners out there, as well as the pets themselves who cannot speak, and trust us to do our best for them. Please show up and show that care, and be part of creating better health and longevity for pets. We could not have gotten this far without those of you who wrote letters and made phone calls. NOW IS THE TIME WE NEED YOU THE MOST! I, and others, have worked very hard the past couple of months to provide information and research to city officials in order to get this issue before the City Council with a new ordinance. Now, we need your help to get it finished.

The council meeting takes place in the Council Chambers at the Municipal Building located at 2101 O'Neil Avenue. Cheyenne, WY - Official Website There is on-street parking as well as a parking lot directly across from the Municipal Building on O'Neil. We are currently number 12 on the agenda, however there are really only 3 issues ahead of us, with one being a 3rd reading which should be done fairly quickly, the other 2 are second readings, one of which may well be tabled. In light of this, we would ask everyone to be there between 6:15 and 6:30 pm, to be on the safe side.

When the audience is asked for comments, I am planning to speak, giving the council the same information I provided to the Public Services Committee. Judy Johnstone will also speak, giving further facts and research. We also have a vet scheduled to speak to the issue and answer any medical questions the council may have with respect to the 3 year vaccine. I will then provide the council with a packet of research and information which will provide the back up for what we have discussed. (If anyone else is interested in giving a detailed discusion, citing facts, please let me know as soon as possible so I can include your research/back-up in the packet I am providing). Following this, we need as many residents as possible to step forward and let the council know they are in favor of the new ordinance. The more people who voice their opinion in favor, the more likely the council is to vote in favor of the changes.

Please pass this on to anyone you know in Cheyenne who has a pet or may be interested in this issue. We can only get this done with your help!

Thank you, I look forward to seeing many of you tomorrow evening.

Karon L. Volk
KARONTARA IRISH WOLFHOUNDS
3560 Horse Creek Rd
Cheyenne, WY 82009
307-637-8999

Arkansas Veterinary Medical Association Arkanas Veterinary Medical Association - What's New
RABIES VACCINATIONS
New Recommendations

Recommendations for maintaining adequate pre-exposure immunization status: A routine booster every two years is NOT recommended since the newer cell culture vaccines often confer adequate antibody levels for 5 to 8 years and risk of adverse reactions is increased by frequent boosters. The standard pre-exposure recommendation for veterinarians practicing in an area with enzootic rabies is serologic testing every two years with booster vaccination when the antibody titer falls below the acceptable level, i.e. 1:5 by RFFIT.

Cheyenne Passes 3 Year Rabies Ordinance 12/8/08

CHEYENNE – City Eases Rabies Vaccine Rules Wyoming Tribune Eagle, Page A3, Tuesday, December 9, 2008 by Jodi Rogstad

The City’s Dogs and Cats will No Longer Need to Get Rabies Shots Every Year. Pet owners now have the option to have their animal companions vaccinated once every three years. Monday, the Cheyenne City Council voted 8-2 to change the city’s rabies vaccine ordinance.


Cheyenne City Council Cheyenne City Council

9. ORDINANCE - 3RD READING - Amending Section 6.12.020, Rabies Tags, of Chapter 6.12, Dog and Cat Registration, and Section 6.16.020, Rabies Vaccination Required, of Chapter 6.16, Rabies Control, of Title 6, Animals, of the Code of the City of Cheyenne, Wyoming. (PUBLIC SERVICES COMMITTEE)

ACTION: Approved as amended by substitute