Rabies Vaccination Legislation

Health and legislative issues have long been intertwined through the mandate of rabies vaccination. The government has used this for decades as a means to collect data on dog ownership. As well, scientific ignorance of the immune system, driven by fear of rabies, have allowed harmful overvaccination to proliferate throughout the country. The Rabies Challenge Fund was founded by Kris Christine to address this unbalanced attitude in our society. Update from The Rabies Challenge Fund below: There have been many developments in state rabies laws across the country in which The Rabies Challenge Fund has had a major role -- the most recent being Wichita, Kansas passing a 3 year ordinance this week. News and updates on Alabama, Rhode Island, Arkansas, Wyoming, and Tennessee are also below. First on the list is an update on The Rabies Challenge Fund vaccine seminar to be held this weekend which some of you may want to attend via live webstream. Kris L. Christine Founder, Co-Trustee THE RABIES CHALLENGE FUND NJ Vaccine Seminar LIVE WEBSTREAM this SATURDAY with DR. W. JEAN DODDS Saturday, March 14, 2009 at 2:00 PM Eastern Standard Time The 2009 Northeast Rabies Challenge Fund Seminar will be held March 14, 2009 at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ. You can see Dr. Dodds speak live over the Internet To attend this seminar via this live video stream CLICK TO SIGN UP or visit the site Cost is $55.00 Limitation: 300 online virtual attendees. 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM Dr. W. Jean Dodds - "Clinical Approaches to Managing and Treating Adverse Vaccine Reactions" 3:30 PM - 3:50 PM BREAK 3:50 PM - 4:55 PM Moderated** Question and Answer Session WICHITA, KANSAS PASSES 3 YEAR RABIES ORDINANCE Wichita City Council Overhauls Animal Codes 3/11/09 Wichita Eagle "• Require rabies vaccinations every three years -- instead of every year -- for dogs, cats and ferrets." ALABAMA--Senate Bill #469 Senate Bill #469 sponsored by Senator Larry Dixon was introduced on March 5, 2009 to amend Alabama Code Title 3 Section 7A-2 to conform to the 3 year rabies protocol and include a medical exemption clause for animals whose well-being would be jeopardized by rabies vaccination.The bill has been assigned to the Senate Health Committee. What You Can Do to Help Contact the Senate Health Committee members and ask them to pass SB #469 : Senator Linda Coleman ∙ Senator Butler ∙ Senator Bedford ∙ Senator Larry Dixon Steve French ∙ Myron Penn ∙ Jabo Waggoner ∙ Hariaane Smith ∙ QT Ross Zeb Little ∙ Legislator Montgomery Advertiser March 10, 2009 Bill May Save Pet Owners Cash by Markeshia Ricks "State Sen. Larry Dixon, R-Montgomery, is sponsoring a bill that would change a law that requires dogs and cats to be vaccinated against rabies each year. Instead, most pet owners will only have to round up their animals and pay for the shots once every three years. ........ Dr. Charles Frantz, executive director of the Alabama Veterinarian Medical Association, said vaccines for dogs and cats that immunize an animal against rabies for three years have been around for at least 20 years." RHODE ISLAND Pet owners in Rhode Island have initiated a legislative effort to change the state's 2 year rabies booster law to the national 3 year standard. The State Public Health Veterinarian, Dr. Scott Marshall, will convene a meeting of the Rabies Control Board to present The Rabies Challenge Fund's petition. What You Can Do to Help: Contact your legislator and ask them to introduce a bill changing the 2 year booster requirement to conform to the 3 year protocol recommended by the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians Rabies Compendium and ask your pet-owning friends to do the same. Rhode Island General Assembly: ARKANSAS PASSES NEW RABIES LAW--3 Year Law to be Set! The Arkansas House (91-5) and Senate (35-0) passed a new rabies law authorizing the State Health Department to establish rabies vaccination schedules which will result in a 3 year rabies protocol for Arkansas dogs and cats. ARKANSAS Arkansas News 2/2/09 "The senate also gave final legislative approval to House Bill 1274 by Rep. Pam Adcock, D-Little Rock, which would modernize the state’s rabies vaccination laws. Under the bill, rabies vaccinations for dogs and cats would be required every three years, rather than every year under current law." CHEYENNE, WYOMING PASSES 3 YEAR RABIES ORDINANCE On December 8, 2008, the Cheyenne City Council passed a 3 year rabies ordinance which included a medical exemption for sick animals. 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. Click to contact the Cheyenne City Council Agenda 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 TENNESSEE'S 3 YEAR RABIES LAW Many pet owners are unaware that Tennessee state law does not require annual rabies boosters. Tennessee pet owners have launched an effort requesting the state to consistently enforce the 3 year rabies immunization requirement set forth in Tennessee law Title 68 Chapter 8 and recommended by the CDC's National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians and The American Veterinary Medical Association. What You Can Do to Help Inform your pet-owning friends and colleagues and contact any or all of the following: Mr. Bernie Rhoades, Tennessee Department of Health Phone: (615) 741-8539 Dr. John Dunn, Tennessee Department of Health ∙ Phone: 615.741.7247 Click here to contact your Legislator Tennessee Legislature Click here to join the RabiesVaccinationChallengeinTN Yahoo Group