KITCHENER -- It's later than usual, but the Humane Society of Kitchener Waterloo and Stratford Perth is going ahead with its affordable rabies vaccination and microchip clinics.
Normally offered in September or October, the humane society said it wasn't sure if they'd be offered at all because of COVID-19 restrictions.
"At the end of the day, we recognized we needed to continue providing these services and supporting the pet owners in our communities, and we believe we have found a way to do just that," said Executive Director Kathrin Delutis in a news release.
The humane society will be offering the vaccinations and microchipping by appointment only in both Kitchener and Stratford.
The services will be done using a curbside delivery method, meaning owners won't be allowed in the building with their pets.
"COVID-19 put many people into challenging financial positions, and we want to ensure we are able to continue to help those who rely on our annual rabies vaccination and microchip clinics for their pets," said veterinary Director Dr. Laurel Gale in the release.
"We have modified our clinic procedures substantially by switching to an appointment based system and curbside delivery of service to ensure that we can continue to protect the health of both people and pets in the community."
The humane society said there have been more than 500 confirmed cases of rabies in Ontario since 2015, most of which were found in wild animals. The last reported case of rabies in a pet was last year.
Rabies is carried in the saliva of an infected animal and can be spread to humans and pets through bites, scratches and cuts, or by contact with the eyes, nose or mouth.
It's almost always fatal. If a pet starts showing symptoms of rabies, it will usually die within 10 days.
The humane society is charging $30 for the vaccination, $30 for microchipping or $50 for both.
