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Congratulations to this Vet Student for being so proactive!!  What fortunate community will be receiving her services when she graduates?!

This article is a good discussion point for the question of over vaccination.   As with parents who "believe" (am neutral about this) their child has been put at risk for Autism due to too many childhood vaccinations, pet parents are also beginning to "believe" this could be a possibility creating reactions in their dogs.

The question that stands out is, is the risk of the disease greater than the risk of the prevention?  Only an individual can decide personally.

In my dog's lineage there is a tendancy towards auto-immune reactions and digestive cancers.  My dog as a puppy received a rabies vacination.  Another about 2 years later.  And a final one about 5 years later.   My dog developed a half-dollar sized "welt" at the site of the last rabies injection.  While one reason could have been a missed puncture into the muscle, the other fear was that the lump could develop into a tumor.  The Vet asked me to watch it for 3 months.  Fortunately it was either reabsorbed or an issue that receded on it's own.

My friend's dog bred from the same lineage and at a young age nearly died from only ONE rabies vaccination.  And had to be treated and observed at the Vet's office for an entire day.  I decided never again for a rabies vaccination, knowing that my dog has received at least 1 or 2 rounds of all the vaccinations prescribed.   I will wait until my puppy is older to provide him with only ONE rabies injection if I feel he is environmentally at risk.  On the older dog, in fact I had a "titer" done to check for the level of his own active rabies antibodies, and after 4+ yrs it was still high enough to test positive (acceptable).  I don't know if taking this course of action instead of doing an annual (yikes?!) rabies vaccination contradicts laws in various states?  But if you just basically want to check to see if your dog is still protected you can look into doing a "titer" (expensive! but safe!!).  

By the way one theory for insisting on an "annual" rabies vaccination is to "encourage" pet owners to seek Veterinaian services, often leading to the sale of flea treatments, prescribed dog food and other routine remedies.   Some Vets have told me they would never otherwise see their clients if they weren't required by law to seek vaccinations.

My vaccine experience, years ago, when I didn't know any better:

Arrived for routine exam, vet noted we were overdue for vaccinations, I said I'd pass, my cats never go outdoors, can't remember now which ones, but vet insisted on two.  I caved, not knowing any better, then tech gives the shot and AFTER pulling the needle out of my cat, says to me, "now watch this spot for a lump or welt, it doesn't happen often but there could be a start to a fast-growing cancer."  I stood there like a fool, wanting to knock her teeth out.  Why couldn't she have said that BEFORE she injected him?  The first 30 days was hell with worry and all turned out fine but I'll NEVER let anyone talk me into anything against my better judgement again.

I love what Ms. Lippman is doing & I'm in Sacto, CA and will gladly support her.

Ms. Lippman may want to post this petition on the Care2.com website also, they get a lot of traffic on that site-

Hi Susan:

Thanks for sharing this wonderful article.  I will posting a link to your site on to all my twitter and facebook friends.  Good job Lisa and as usual, good job Susan!

Janie Knetzer

Here's what I can't figure out:  how did Molly get busted in the first place?  Who placed her under "house arrest" and who the heck is keeping tabs on who's had shots and who hasn't?

Well one of the problems in California about getting a dog license is going on the "radar" regarding vaccinations and spay/neuter compliance.   Once the county has a name, address and registration it will track the dog (don't know about cats) for a lifetime.   Particularly within certain cities many pets don't "need" an annual vaccination (much less for rabies) as they are strictly house pets and with no contact with "wild" animals.   This can be particularly risky business for dogs as they begin to age and develop other health concerns.   By the way, just today I discovered that a Chain Store Pet Grooming department would not accept a pet for grooming without proof of rabies.   While I can understand the need for protecting staff and clients, I also explained my puppy was too young for a rabies shot.  But that still didn't matter.   This is a tricky subject and I think the Vet should have way more discretion in how vaccinations are administered to their clients.