City Council Doesn't Bite On Rabies Law

Rabies vaccination records from across Santa Cruz County will start flowing into the in the coming weeks, but Watsonville veterinarians will wait to share their list of vaccinated dogs with shelter staff.

The Watsonville City Council postponed ruling on a proposal that requires dogs' rabies vaccination records be forwarded to the county-run animal shelter program. It's seemingly a simple effort to consolidate the documentation of which dogs have their rabies shots, but council members had concerns that veterinarians and local dog owners hadn't had a chance to sniff out the proposition.

No one addressed the council about the proposal during the public comment period.

"The fact that there’s no one here tonight to speak to the dogs—hopefully we can change that perspective,” Councilman Lowell Hurst said, adding that he hopes some people will come forward to discuss dog issues and create more opportunity for public awareness.

State law requires that all dogs older than 4 months must be vaccinated for rabies. County ordinances also require dogs to be licensed and spayed or neutered.

Melanie Sobel, new general manager for the county Animal Services Authority, said her agency has no idea how many dogs in the county actually are vaccinated. About 13,000 dogs are licensed, an estimated 14 percent of the county's canine population, she said.

It's impossible to say how many of those pooches live in Watsonville.

Vice Mayor Eduardo Montesino said there are a lot of dogs in town——and that getting vaccines may be an afterthought for many residents.

“Campaigning, I just remember every house has two, three dogs. Wow," he said.

Shelter staff have tried to make inroads with Watsonville pet owners for months. that sent animal control officers door-to-door to explain shelter services and local laws to residents.

But there's still concern about a lack of understanding.

Councilman Manuel Bersamin also said some pets are from poor families, with undocumented workers who want rabies protection but don’t want to share their personal information with the government.

Bersamin also read a letter from a local vet who was worried the new law will cause more administrative work, cost more, require him to charge more for a vaccination.

Sobel reminded the council that getting a rabies vaccination is not a new law and that her agency is just asking vets to share pet medical records to improve public safety and streamline processes, such as issuing dog tags.

She added that it also could help shelter officials contact dog owners who need to get licenses, a revenue source for the cash-strapped agency.

Santa Cruz city officials and county leaders have approved sharing vaccine records with the animal shelter, and Scotts Valley officials will be asked to do the same.

In Watsonville, though, the council will wait until Sept. 13 to decide, in hopes dog owners and veterinarians will come forward with input.

“I’m not necessarily against this," Councilwoman Nancy Bilicich said, explaining that there have been injuries from dogs in town, and they need to be licensed and get shots. She just wants feedback from the vets “so they have buy-in, and everyone’s on the same page.”