Pet owners forging rabies certificates

Nov. 16, 2004; Valley Springs, Calif.—A caller on the first block of Laurel Avenue said someone had been forging health and rabies certificates in the area.—The Union Democrat

Before providing licenses and tags to pet owners, double check that rabies certificate, warns the AVMA. The AVMA Council on Public Health and Regulatory Veterinary Medicine recently expressed concern that some pet owners are forging rabies certificates using veterinarians' names and license numbers from state licensing boards' Web sites, and obtaining vaccine lot numbers. The council says that many forgers believe vaccinations harm their pets. Of course, providing false information creates a potentially serious health risk, affecting the management and treatment of pets exposed to rabid animals and of people bitten by pets with forged rabies certificates.

Rabies