Free rabies vaccinations to be offered to pets owned by Nassau residents

The Nassau County Health Department will offer a free rabies vaccination clinic at the Hempstead town animal shelter for pets owned by county residents, Hempstead Town Supervisor Donald X. Clavin Jr. announced Monday.

The clinic, which will be held Aug. 24, will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The announcement comes a week after a case of rabies was confirmed in a cat found in Cedarhurst. It was the first time a case was confirmed in Nassau since 2016.

Rabies is a dangerous neurological disease and if symptoms are shown, it is highly fatal. The disease can be transmitted to humans and pets through bites, scratches, and saliva from an infected animal.

Trap-neuter-and release programs run by the town and county, as well as those of private rescue groups, spay and neuter feral cats and vaccinate them against rabies before they are released. Free vaccine clinics are also routinely offered by other Long Island towns, rescue groups and pet stores.

Over the last 11 years, the TNR program has vaccinated more than 40,000 cats against rabies, according to Jeffrey Siegel, a veterinarian at the town's animal shelter.