Jello, the kitten the Jovel family of northeast Colorado Springs adopted as a stray, created a stir in March when it was diagnosed as the first domestic cat to have the rabies virus in the county since 1966. Jello and the other Jovel family pets were euthanized, and the human members of the family and others who came in contact with Jello received preventive care.With rabies season around the corner, officials recommend keeping vaccinations up to date and proof of those vaccinations on hand so family pets can avoid the same fate.Public health officials and veterinarians say that rabies in domestic pets is uncommon because of strict vaccination requirements. ìIt’s rare as a direct effect of an effective vaccine, state laws and quick response,î said Dr. Jim Humphreys of Mobile Pet Docs. As Jello, the 6-month old kitten proves, rabies in the pet population is still possible.ìThere have been other cases in domestic animals in Colorado in recent years, including Yuma County,î said Shannon Rowe, communicable disease program manager for El Paso County Public Health. ìIf an animal that hasn’t been vaccinated contacts a rabid animal, it’s at risk.îAccording to the Colorado Rabies Prevention and Control Policy, rabies is transmitted through saliva or nerves, which means a rabid animal would have to bite another animal or a domestic animal would have to eat a rabid bat or mouse, for example.The Jovels told Emily Allen of KRDO television in Colorado Springs they took Jello to a veterinarian for an exam and vaccination updates immediately after adopting the kitten. This was the right protocol for bringing in a stray, Humphreys said.ìIf someone has a stray that walks up and they want to adopt it, there’s nothing wrong with that ó thousands of people do that every year,î he said. ìYou have to go immediately to your vet, tell them it’s a stray and get an exam. Then, you can bring up to date all the vaccines and get the boosters.î Quarantining the new pet from existing animals should also be done because of rabies and other potential diseases, Humphreys said.It is vital to keep rabies vaccination records close in case of a rabies exposure, Rowe said. If vaccine boosters are out of date or owners can’t find the records, other exposed pets will likely be euthanized. ìThe state guidelines are dependent on when the animal was vaccinated, how many boosters they’ve had and their documentation,î Rowe said. ìFor some of the animals, they couldn’t find the documentation, or the animals were too young to get all the shots needed to be protected.îThe Colorado Rabies Prevention and Control Policy states that a verbal vaccination history from the owner is not sufficient evidence. ìVaccination history must be verified by review of a valid rabies vaccination certificate or consultation with the pet’s veterinarian,î according to the policy, updated in 2011.ìIn this state, we have both one-year vaccines and three-year vaccines,î Humphreys said. ìMany people Ö say they didn’t know they have to go back every three years.î If the exposed pet only had one shot more than one year ago, it is considered ìhigh risk,î according to the state policy. Pets that were thought to be vaccinated but the owner does not have records are also considered high risk, if exposed. ìEuthanasia of the exposed animal should be recommended as the preferred course of action,î according to the policy.Warmer months are a great time to remind pet owners about rabies prevention, Rowe said. ìRabies is transmitted through wild animals, and they migrate into the area or become more active during the warmer part of the year,î Rowe said. El Paso County Public Health found 10 wild animals that tested positive in 2014. All were found between June and September.ìRabies is a spillover disease, where the virus reservoir is in the wildlife population,î Humphreys said. If the virus builds up within the wildlife population to a certain point, it is more likely to spread to strays and domestic pets that come in contact with wild animals, he said.ìIt can obviously happen all year round, but that’s when animals are most at risk, especially since it’s warmer and people are out and about with their pets,î Rowe said.The Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region does not pick up stray animals found outside the city limits of Colorado Springs, Monument and Fountain, said Sgt. Ken Gingrich from HSPPR. However, residents of unincorporated El Paso County can bring a stray animal to the shelter or report the animal on the society’s lost and found pet database.
