Rabies Information

If a human is bitten by a dog, or bitten or scratched by a cat or wildlife, please seek immediate medical attention and contact Tolland Animal Control by calling 860-871-3676.

The most common signs of rabies are:

  • Falling over
  • Inability to move
  • Walking as if drunk
  • Aggressive behavior
  • Foaming at the mouth

Connecticut Department of Public Health Announces Changes to Rabies Protocol

Tolland Animal Control was notified that on April 1, 2016, that the CT Department of Public Health has changed their rabies protocol.  Below is a summary of the protocol:

The new protocol now requires that all possibly rabid animals which bite or are exposed to a domestic animal/pet, be collected and submitted to UCONN for rabies testing. A testing fee of $65 for each specimen submitted will now be charged. This fee will be levied upon the owner of the domestic animal/pet involved.

If the domestic animal/pet involved in the bite/exposure to a wild animal, is current with their rabies vaccination, the owner will be given the option to booster the rabies vaccine immediately and quarantine the pet at home for 45 days in lieu of submitting the wild animal to UCONN for testing.

The requirement to home quarantine a domestic animal/pet which is currently vaccinated at the time of a bite/exposure to a wild animal that can’t be found for testing will remain the same. The domestic animal/pet will receive a rabies booster vaccine and be home quarantined for a minimum of 45 days.

Any domestic animal/pet which is not properly vaccinated and which was bitten/exposed to a possibly rabid wild animal must be quarantined at the dog pound or approved kennel for a period of 6 months (at the owner’s expense) if the wild animal is not or cannot be tested or if the wild animal tests positive for rabies virus.

Domestic animals/pets which bite a human must still be quarantined for a minimum of 14 days. If an owner chooses to euthanize their pet in lieu of quarantining the domestic animal/pet for 14 days, they will now be required to submit the animal/pet to UCONN for rabies testing. A testing fee of $65 will now be charged. This fee will be levied upon the owner of the domestic animal/pet being tested. In these cases, the owner of the domestic animal/pet will still be responsible for all veterinary fees incurred prior to the domestic animal/pet being submitted for testing.

All possible rabid wildlife specimens collected for bites/exposures to humans will continue to be submitted to the Department of Health and tested at no charge.

If you or your pet may have been bitten by a domestic animal/pet or potentially rabid wild animal, please call Tolland Animal Control immediately 860-871-3676.

For additional information, please visit the State's web-site http://www.ct.gov/dph/cwp/view.asp?a=3136&q=396178