Kris Christine, Founder of the Rabies Challenge Fund, sent this message today. California, for no apparent reasons, has designated all California counties "rabies designated areas" and proposes to quarantine all dogs with exemption for health. Please read!

Greetings All,

Dr. Jean Dodds approved the notice I just drafted and it has been posted onto the RCF Facebook page. In the meantime, we'll come up with something to send to the committee, but at least dog owners have preliminary notice that something is afoot.

Feel free to post it wherever you want to -- getting the word out is important. I think I'll post it to the dog boards tomorrow. It's been a long, exhausting day, and as Scarlet O'Hara says, "Tomorrow's another day!"

Kris

NOTICE: CALIFORNIA DOG OWNERS -- On 12/21/09 Dr. Ben Sun (916) 552-9744, Interim Chief of California's Veterinary Public Health Section, designated ALL COUNTIES in California as "rabies areas" http://www.cdph.ca.gov/HealthInfo/discond/Documents/2010_LHD_Rabies_Declaration_Letter.pdf.

The declaration states: "The Director of the Department of Public Health has declared all counties in California as 'rabies areas' in 2010. This declaration is based on the ongoing cyclic nature of rabies in California wildlife, and the resulting threat of exposure to domestic animals, livestock, and humans."

An April 5, 2010 amendment to AB2000 http://www.leginfo.ca.gov./pub/09-10/bill/asm/ab_1951-2000/ab_2000_bill_20100405_amended_asm_v98.html which seeks to add a medical exemption clause for sick dogs in designated "rabies areas," would included the following language:

" (2) A dog exempt from the canine antirabies vaccination shall be kept quarantined as directed by the local health officer, until the
dog's medical condition has resolved and the administration of the canine antirabies vaccine occurs."

This bill is currently in the Senate Rules Committee for consideration.

Under current law, the Department of Public Health is authorized to require annual rabies vaccinations in designated "rabies areas," which includes ALL counties in California for 2010. With the passage of AB2000 as amended on April 5th, dogs with medical exemptions would be required to be quarantined, which could be in an off-site pound or facility as determined by the local health officer, until their medical condition resolves or they are given a rabies vaccine