Rabies
- Protect Your Pet
- Rabies Overview
- Rabies Signs in Animals
- Exposure Instructions
- Additional Rabies Information
Protect Your Pet
The only way to fully protect your pets is to ensure that they are currently vaccinated. The Health Department offers rabies vaccination clinics for cats, dogs, and ferrets 3 months of age and older.
The Health Department will be holding rabies vaccination clinics for cats, dogs and ferrets 3 months of age or older on on two dates in the Fall of 2023. Cost is $10 per animal, cash or check only (no credit cards).
Sunday, September 24, 2023 at Thurmont Community Park
- 12:30-3:30pm
- Community Park Road, Thurmont MD 21788
Sunday, October 22 at Brunswick Park
- 12:30-3:30pm
- 655 East Potomac Street, Brunswick MD 21716
If your pet has been previously vaccinated, please bring paperwork with you. If you have over 5 pets, call 301-600-1717 to start paperwork ahead of time.
Other Locations:
- For Frederick County Animal Control clinics, visit www.FrederickCountyMD.gov/fcac or call 301-600-1546.
- For Humane Society clinics, spay/neuter programs, pet food bank and micro-chipping information, visit http://www.fchs.org, or call 301-694-8300.
- For Animal Welfare League clinics, spay/neuter information and pet food bank information, visit http://www.awlfc.org/ or call 301-663-5855.
- For clinics through the Carroll County Health Department check their website at Carroll County.
- For residents of Montgomery County their clinic information is available at resident of Montgomery County.
- For clinics through the Howard County Health Department check out info at Howard County.
- For residents of Washington County the Humane Society has clinic info at resident of Washington County.
Rabies Overview
Rabies is a virus that can affect both domesticated (dogs and cats) and non-domesticated animals (groundhogs, skunks, cows, bats, opossums, etc.). Fish, snakes, lizards, and birds cannot carry or get the rabies virus. The rabies virus is transmitted through the saliva of an infected animal. You cannot get rabies from blood, skunk spray, urine, feces, or from petting an infected animal.
Who to Contact
- Animal Control: to report bites and collect specimens
- During regular business hours (Mon-Fri, 7am-11pm): call 301-600-1544
- After hours, weekends, and holidays: call 301-600-1603
- Bite reports can be faxed to 301-600-1547
- Environmental Health: for general rabies questions
- During regular business hours (Monday - Friday, 8 am - 5 pm): call 301-600-1717, email CommunityServicesOffice@FrederickCountyMD.gov or fax 301-600-3180.
- After hours, weekends, and holidays (The Frederick County Communications Center will contact the on-call Environmental Health supervisor regarding the emergency): call 301-600-0312
- Community Health Services: for questions about human exposure/bites
- During regular business hours (Monday - Friday, 8 am - 5 pm): call 301-600-1733 or fax 301-600-1403
- After hours, weekends, and holidays: call 301-600-0312
Rabies Signs in Animals
Symptoms of Rabid Animals (may exhibit multiple symptoms or have only 1):
- Paralysis
- Foaming at the mouth
- Staggering movements
- Overfriendliness
- Aggressiveness
- Daytime activity in nocturnal animals (e.g. raccoon attacking a dog during the day)
- Drooling
- Seizures
- Death
- Additional Signs to Look For In a Pet:
- Ataxia (loss of muscle control and coordination)
- Disinterest in food or water
- Difficulty waking up
- Signs of depression or self-mutilation
Exposure Instructions
What to do if you think you or your pet has had a possible exposure: