MARGATE - The city will hold its annual Rabies Clinic 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 15 at the Margate City Fire Department, 1 S. Washington Ave.
Residents of Margate and Longport can participate at no cost. Bring your cats and dogs to the clinic to receive a free vaccination to protect household pets from contracting rabies, which can be fatal in humans.
The clinic is free to Margate and Longport residents, and participants will be able to register their pets with their respective city.
The campaign to keep rabies out of the city's pet population is succeeding, thanks to the immunization of cats and dogs. Rabies can be fatal if transmitted to humans and not treated. All human cases of rabies were fatal until Louis Pasteur and Emile Roux developed the vaccine in 1865.
The first rabies case in Atlantic County was confirmed in February when a raccoon in Port Republic tested positive. The raccoon had killed sever chickens and chased the homeowner when approached.
Dogs and cats who receive an initial vaccination are not considered immunized until 28 days after the vaccine is administered, so it is important to not let pets outdoors unattended during that time.
Public health officials advise residents to teach their children to stay away from wild, stray or aggressive animals. Never feed or touch wild animals or try to keep them as pets.
If you are bitten by an animal, wash the wound immediately with soap and water and seek medical attention. All bites should be reported to the Atlantic County Division of Public Health at 609-645-5971.
