The Huron County Health Unit is partnering with Blyth Veterinary Services to offer two low-cost rabies vaccination clinics later this month.
Public Health Inspector Patrick Landry points out pet owners are legally required to have their pets vaccinated against rabies once they reach the age of three months.
Landry says back in the 80s, rabies was a huge problem in Ontario and that prompted the Ministry of Natural Resources to develop its aerial baiting program, which was successful.
But rabies resurfaced in the Hamilton area in 2015 in raccoons.
Since then, a different strain of rabies has been found in skunks in Huron County.
"People have to keep in mind that our pets are actually our link to rabies and more often than not a loose dog or a stray cat or whatever animal that is left unsupervised in the outdoors can get in a fight with a wild animal that is carrying rabies, and once that animal has contact with that wild animal it can introduce that virus to the household," says Landry.
Vaccination clinics are being held at the Blyth Veterinary Services on Friday, April 27 from 1pm to 4pm and on Saturday, April 28 from 9am until noon.
The cost is $30 per pet and they ask that dogs be on a leash and cats be in cages.