To help protect people and pets from rabies, Ontario law requires animal owners to vaccinate dogs, cats and ferrets over three (3) months of age against rabies.
Veterinarians who attend to a dog, cat, or ferret recently imported into Canada should:
- Acquire and scrutinize a copy of the animal’s previous vaccination record and/or health certificate.
- Ensure the animal is currently vaccinated against rabies if it is over 3 months of age.
- If there is any question regarding the validity of the animal’s documentation or the reliability of any previous vaccinations (in terms of product used, route of administration, age of administration or any other concerns), then the animal should be revaccinated for rabies as soon as possible, and a new vaccination certificate issued by the attending veterinarian. Previous vaccination using products that are not licensed for use in Canada or the United States should be considered invalid (in Ontario)*
*In order to be in compliance with Ontario law, the animal must be vaccinated against rabies as follows:
- The vaccine must be administered by a veterinarian, or delegate, in Canada or the United States registered in the jurisdiction the vaccine was administered; and
- The rabies vaccine must be licensed for use in the jurisdiction it was administered
