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Animal Bites and Rabies

Public Health, Policy & Planning

Rabies exists throughout San Mateo County and is a fatal disease for animals and for people if you don’t get medical attention right away.

There is no cure for rabies once your pets are exposed but it can be prevented by making sure your pets are all vaccinated.

The best way to protect your furry family and your community is to get your cats and dogs vaccinated for rabies. And at the same time, be sure to get your pets licensed to help them return home if they get lost.

The vaccination and microchip clinics at the Peninsula Humane Society are now by appointment only. Please call 650-340-7022 ext. 332 or visit the SPCA site for more information. A list of local vaccination clinics can be viewed in the resource library below.

Providers: Report an Animal Bite

If you are a provider, report an animal bite in San Mateo County by completing the form below and faxing it to 650-685-0102.

Download and Complete: Provider Animal Bite Report Form  | 

Rabies Information for Medical Providers

Please help the San Mateo County Health Communicable Disease Control Program by filling out and submitting an Animal Bite Report Form every time you provide care to an individual who has been bitten by an animal. Please fax the form to the Peninsula Humane Society and SPCA at 650-685-0102.

If you have questions or need more information regarding rabies or the management of animal bites, please call 650-573-2346. Whether Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) is indicated or not should be based on the type of animal involved, its health and behavior, the type and circumstances of the exposure and the availability of the animal for diagnostic testing or observation. It is usually a complex situation that requires evaluation on a case-by-case basis.

Rabies FAQ

Rabies is in San Mateo County and infects animals every year. Vaccinating your pet against rabies is the only way to protect them from it. It is 100% fatal in dogs and cats, and is almost always fatal in people if not treated immediately. Because of the drought, many wild animals are coming closer than ever to houses looking for water, which puts everyone, including your pets, at an even greater risk.

Rabies is in San Mateo County and not as rare as you might think. In 2014, 178 rabid animals were identified in California, including 150 bats, 24 skunks, two cats, one dog and one fox. Because of the drought, many wild animals are coming closer to houses looking for water, which puts everyone, including your pets, at an even greater risk.

Even indoor cats can get out. It only takes a minute for a cat to come into contact with another animal and potentially get rabies. Bats, the animal most likely to carry rabies, can also fly into houses. Rabid bats tend to act irrationally before dying and tend to go places they would avoid when healthy, like into homes and near people.

Resource Library