Three low-cost rabies vaccine, microchip events offered

Your pet has a better chance of being reunited with your family if it has a microchip for quick identification and a current rabies vaccination/registration record.

McHenry County Animal Control & Adoption Center will host three low-cost rabies vaccination and microchip clinics for McHenry County residents in December and Janauary at its Crystal Lake facility, 100 N. Virginia St., intersection of Woodstock Street and Route 14. All pets must be leashed or in carriers. Do not bring animals that are in heat.

Appointments are necessary and can be made by calling the center at (815) 459-6222. Clinics are scheduled for: 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 14; 1 to 4 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 15; and 3 to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 25.

Rabies vaccinations are $10 for one year or $25 for three years. Registration tags are required by law; registration fees are separate and required at time of rabies vaccination. Discounts for senior residents apply and for pets who have been previously spayed or neutered. Microchips are $15.

There is no cure for rabies, and it is almost always fatal. Rabies vaccinations provide your pet with the best protection against this disease. Unlike dog tags and collars which can fall off or be removed, microchips are a more permanent form of pet identification.

Animal microchips are about the size of a grain of rice and are typically implanted just beneath the surface of the skin between the shoulder blades. The process is similar to receiving vaccination through a needle.

Adoptions at $80 also will be available. All adoptions include age-appropriate vaccinations, spay/neuter, testing for feline leukemia virus and feline immunodeficiency virus, microchip, heartworm and free first veterinarian visit at participating veterinarians. To view available pets, visit www.petfinder.com.