The Columbiana County Health District will be partnering with the Lisbon Veterinary Clinic to hold a Reduced Rabies Prevention Clinic on Saturday, October 7 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

The clinic will take place at the Columbiana County Career and Technical Center at 9364 SR-45 in Lisbon.

There will be a charge of $5 per dose. Only cash payments will be accepted and guests are asked to bring exact change. All pets must be at least three months old. Dogs must be on a leash and cats must be in a crate or otherwise confined.

According to a press release, rabies is still prevalent in Northeast Ohio with one case in particular being reported in Mahoning County this year. 

Rabies is a deadly virus that affects the central nervous system and is almost always transmitted through the bite of an infected animal. In almost all cases, rabies can be fatal if left untreated.

Often times, those with rabies don't exhibit any symptoms until it is too late to begin treatment. That's why vaccines exist to protect people, pets and wildlife from the disease.

The Columbiana County Health District acts as an animal dropoff location for rabies surveillance in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Division of Wildlife Services.

County residents may drop off raccoons, groundhogs, bats and foxes for surveillance purposes only on Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

These specimens must be deceased with their skulls intact. Tissue must be fresh and all specimens must be double bag and handled using water-repellent gloves to prevent exposure.

During submission, the department will ask for an address or GPS location where the specimen was found.

So far this year, the Columbiana County Health District has received 122 bite reports and submitted six specimens for nonhuman-contact testing. Additionally, Columbiana County was also part of the Oral Rabies Vaccine baiting zone.