In recognition of World Rabies Day, St. Lucie County’s Animal Safety Division will host the 2nd Annual Drive-Through Rabies Vaccination Event at the St. Lucie County Fairgrounds on Saturday, September 30, 2023 from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM. This event is free for residents of the unincorporated areas of St. Lucie County and $10 for residents of the City of Fort Pierce and the City of Port St. Lucie.
Pre-registration is required, so the veterinarian can make sure all animals are in the county’s system at the time of vaccination to keep the lines moving. Pre-registration opens Friday, September 1st and will end at 4:00 PM on Thursday, September 28th. As a part of this outreach event, microchips will also be available at no cost to the pet owner for residents of the unincorporated areas of St. Lucie County and for $10 for residents of the City of Fort Pierce and Port St. Lucie, if they are not already microchipped. Residents will be required to register their pets with the appropriate animal control agency after the event has concluded. Dogs must be on a leash and cats must be in a secure carrier. The St. Lucie County Fairgrounds is located at 15601 Midway Road in Fort Pierce.
To request an appointment, participants need to provide their name, address, phone number, number of animals and type of animals (cat or dog) by email to: acvoucher@stlucieco.org. Please also include a photo ID and proof of residency. Rabies vaccines are limited to five per household.
According to the World Health Organization, rabies is a vaccine-preventable viral disease, which occurs in more than 150 countries and territories. Dogs are the main source of human rabies deaths, contributing up to 99% of all rabies transmissions to humans with 40% of people bitten by a suspected rabid animal being children under the age of 15. Globally, rabies causes an estimated cost of $8.6 billion per year.
