Maggie - Page 2

Ruger, I didn't say the policies made SCIENTIFIC sense--I merely reviewed the salient point of why these policies are so rigid and unyielding.  Were the disease in question one that was not 99.99% fatal to humans, I have no doubt that the protocols would have been revamped several times over as newer research provided better information...but the fact remains that it is unlikely you will find even one public health official who would willingly place their neck on the block and go against the protocols--which, BTW, are national protocols, not arbitrarily decided by each individual community or even at a state level--for fear that they will be the one who let someone's kid become infected by the neighbor's pet, AND because there are usually federal community health funds that are tied to a state's department of community health adhering to all national protocols, just as there were federal highway funds tied to states agreeing to reduce highway speed limits to 55 mph years back.     

But I NEVER said the protocols made scientific sense.

Hi,

I am the owner of Maggie...First, I would like to say it has been 1 year and 4 months since Maggie has been to the vet. She was on heart prevention, had never bitten anyone...and was the best friend to both my kids.

I have been so torn up over the loss of Maggie...You all will never comprehend the amount of guilt I feel...the overwhelming amount of sadness and guilt that I am enduring and will endure for the rest of my life...

I went to speak with a vet today...and this is what I was told....Instead of allowing Animal Control to take my dogs I should have been offered the option to have the pet quarantined AT A VET. They allow that...but NOT the animal control officer that came to my door that day...he said we had NO options...NONE. This is all becoming more saddening the more I learn...the vet tech I saw today told me Maggie was still vaccinated - that her "yearly" shot was actually the three year shot...she also told me laws are strict because rabies in humans is a death sentence. I get that. I do. This has opened my eyes to what I did wrong and what everyone else did wrong. I was also told, by the humane society that blood work BEFORE a spay is not standard procedure...my vet said...you get what you pay for....Jesus Christ..As someone who used to volunteer there she knows what they do. It is an assembly line...they don't "intubate" the dogs like at real vets...they don't have the monitoring systems available like a real vet......I wish I had been more informed of my options....my choices....But I will tell you what...Maggie's death will NOT be in vain. I will be an advocate for rabies vaccinations and dog owners rights....I will....Until this does NOT happen to another family.

I fully, 100% regret that Maggies rabies vaccination was not up to date...FULLY. Legally it was not. In actuality it was...

And no...We don't know if a blood test would have saved her....but really, they told us that was our best option...made us feel guilty as pet owners..I didn't plan to spay her...she is always in my house and yard...never wandered...always had her sisters...she doesn't run away.......You see....it is every freaking decision I made I will regret...but the SYSYTEM should have helped me make informed decisions...I was basing my opinions on what I was told....And God...I will regret every single one of them...forever.

I got bitten by a client's dog a couple of months ago, and had to get antibiotics. It was a spoiled lap dog. My doctor asked me if the dog's rabies shots were up to date, and I said I wasn't worried about that, because the dog probablty rarely went outside.

And THAT was the end of it! NO reporting to animal control. NO flak about 'oh, the dog is vicious, it HAS to be reported!"  I was clipping the dog's nails, and it didn't like what I was doing. I drew blood when I did one of the hind nails, so he got mad and bit me!

Mind you, rabies is rarer here in Canada than the States.