Rabies Prevention

• Vaccinate pets.
• Do not pet unfamiliar animals (e.g., someone else’s pet or a stray).
• Do not stick your arm into a strangers’ car window to pet their animal.
• Protect yourself against rabies when travelling. Travellers should not pick up, pet, feed, or handle unfamiliar animals. See your health care provider if you are bitten or scratched by an unfamiliar animal.
• Keep pets indoors at night.
• Prevent bats from entering your house
  • Bat Conservation International (BCI) – Bats in Buildings
  • Bat Rabies Education
• Teach children to stay away from wild or stray animals.
• Avoid feeding or handling wild animals. When you are bitten by a wild animal, the animal will need to be euthanized and set for rabies testing to ensure it was not infectious with the rabies virus. If the animal is not available for testing, you will be referred to your health care provider to discuss the rabies vaccine.
  • Wildlife Feeding: dos and don’ts
• Do not keep wild animals as pets. It is generally not allowed in Ontario. There are laws in Ontario concerning wild animals in captivity.
• Do not touch dead or sick animals.
  • What to do if you find a sick, injured, or abandoned wild animal.
• Call your local health unit or doctor, and go to the hospital if you or a family member have been in contact with a rabid animal.