New law says Hamilton pet owners have to vaccinate their animals for rabies

Hamilton pet owners have to vaccinate their pets for rabies now or risk a $180 fine, part of a city effort to stop the virus from spreading to more humans.

The city's board of health voted Monday to make pet vaccination mandatory. This comes in the midst of the largest raccoon rabies outbreak in Canadian history, says Connie DeBenedet, supervisor of health hazards and vector borne diseases. And Hamilton is a hot spot.

The virus is most common in skunks, said DeBenedet. But it's been found in dogs, cats and even a llama. Since December 2015, when the virus was first found, 137 people have needed treatment for rabies.

DeBenedet said if pets keep getting it, it will spread to more children. And it's potentially fatal.

"We've seen two rabid cats, which is very concerning," she said. "Those are the types of animals our children are most likely to come in contact with. If they see a cat or dog, they may not recognize that it's acting strange."

Health and wildlife officials have been battling rabies for three years. About 70 per cent of those cases have been in Hamilton. That amounts to 208 raccoons, 101 skunks, a fox, and two cats.

The Ministry of Natural Resources has been dropping bait each year, by hand and airplane. 

Hamilton Animal Services will lay the fines. City council still needs to ratify the new rule next week.