Rockland To Offer Free Drive-Thru Rabies Shots​

NEW CITY, NY — Rockland County will be offering free rabies shots to cats, dogs and ferrets that belong to county residents at a drive-thru clinic.

County Executive Ed Day and Health Commissioner Dr. Patricia Schnabel Ruppert announced Friday that the free vaccinations will be administered from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 3.

The clinic will be held at the Robert Yeager Health Complex, 50 Sanatorium Rd. in Pomona in the parking lot in front of Building F.

No appointment is needed, the shots are free. However, a $5 donation per animal will help defray the costs.

Download and print a Rabies Vaccination Release FORM and bring the completed and signed form to the clinic. To prevent the spread of COVID-19, all attendees must remain in their vehicle and limit the number of passengers in the vehicle. Face masks or cloth face coverings are required for everyone in the vehicle. Please check the county's Facebook page for any weather-related cancellation before arrival.

Ruppert said animal rabies continues to be a public health problem in Rockland County.

"We remind all residents to make sure that their animals are immunized against rabies and that the vaccinations are kept up to date," she said.

To get a free rabies shot:

• Your dog, cat or ferret must be healthy.
• Your pet must be older than 3 months.
• Your dogs must be on a leash.
• Your cats and ferrets must be on a leash or in a top-opening container.

New York State law requires that all dogs, cats and domesticated ferrets be vaccinated against rabies by 4 months of age. Owners can be fined up to $250 if they fail to get their pets vaccinated and keep them up to date. All animal bites and animals suspected of having rabies must be reported to The Rockland County Health Department at 845-364-2656. After hours, callers should contact the sheriff at 845-364-8600.

For more information on animal rabies or the rabies vaccine, call the Rockland County Department of Health at 845-364-2656 or visit the website.