Second Chance Animal Sanctuaries is offering its annual low-cost rabies and microchip clinic on Saturday, Sept. 30, 1-3 p.m. at the Tioga County Fairgrounds in Whitneyville, between Wellsboro and Mansfield.

Rabies vaccines are $10, distemper combo vaccines are $15 and microchips are $15 or $20 if Second Chance registers it online for you. Cash/check only; no cards accepted. 

Dr. Kristine Shaw, DVM, is administering the rabies vaccines. No appointment is needed, but be prepared for a wait. Please bring water for your pet for the wait. Dogs must be on leashes and cats in carriers. No public restroom will be available. For more information, please call Second Chance at 570-376-3646. 

ABOUT THE VACCINES & MICROCHIPS
Every dog and pet cat are required by law to be vaccinated for rabies, a viral disease that is 100% fatal once symptoms appear. A one-year shot will be given at the clinic unless proof of a previous vaccine is presented. Then, a three-year shot can be administered. Animals need to be 16 weeks or older for a rabies vaccine.

The distemper combo is a core vaccine recommended by veterinarians. In dogs, it protects against canine distemper virus, two types of adenovirus – hepatitis and kennel cough, parainfluenza and parvovirus. In cats, it protects against feline panleukopenia (feline distemper), feline viral rhinotracheitis (feline herpes) and calicivirus plus Feline leukemia virus (FeLV). The vaccine can be started for dogs and cats as young as six weeks old and is repeated every 2-4 weeks (boosters) until the animal is 16 weeks old. If over 16 weeks at the first dose, usually only one more booster is needed in four weeks. 

Microchips are a permanent identification system that helps your pet get back home should they ever become lost. They do not track your pet’s location, but when scanned, the chip provides a unique number that ties back to your contact information through the microchip company.

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, microchipped dogs are twice as likely to be returned to owners and microchipped cats are more than 20 times likely to be returned. However, only one in six microchips are actually registered, and many aren’t updated with current contact information, making them useless. The chips offered by Second Chance are paid for once without any additional cost. For an extra $5, Second Chance registers the chip for you.