Cats and dogs throughout Flathead County that haven’t been vaccinated for rabies could cost their owners hundreds of dollars in quarantine fees if there’s a bite incident.

That’s the message Flathead County Animal Shelter Director Cliff Bennett wants to drive home with all pet owners. A countywide rabies control program enacted in March as a county public health ordinance requires rabies vaccinations for all cats and dogs.

“The ordinance goes largely unnoticed by most residents until a dog or cat bite occurs,” Bennett said. “Owners of those pets not vaccinated for rabies face very unpleasant consequences ... cats and dogs involved in a possible human rabies exposure — a bite incident — are ordered to be quarantined.”

Unvaccinated pets are quarantined at the county animal shelter for a 10-day observation period, at a cost of $290, which is required to be paid up front.

Bennett said the cost is based on the county’s shelter impound fee, the cost-of-care fee and the shelter’s charge for a pre-release rabies vaccination.

“It happens about every week,” Bennett said about having to quarantine unvaccinated pets. “To the unfortunate owners of pets involved in these cases, a rabies vaccination suddenly seems like a terrific investment.”

A rabies vaccination can cost anywhere from $9 to $22 or more. Some local veterinarians also require an examination of the pet along with the vaccination, which generally costs $30 to $50 in addition to the vaccine.

The county shelter has been providing quarantine quarters for pets without rabies vaccinations for years, Bennett said, but the new ordinance requires the full $290 fee to be paid up front.

It also requires a pet owner to pay $150 if the pet is surrendered to the shelter. That covers the cost of severing the animal’s head and shipping it to a state laboratory for rabies testing, he explained.

“If they refuse to pay that [$150 fee], it’s sent to collection,” Bennett added.

Vaccinated pets may, with permission of the county health officer, be quarantined at home.

For families who find regular veterinary visits a strain on their budgets, the shelter can assist with finding other rabies vaccination opportunities. The Flathead Spay and Neuter Task Force occasionally offers vaccination clinics, and a local veterinarian makes a monthly visit to a local large pet store, Bennett said, citing a couple of examples.

“We’re a good conduit” to connect pet owners with vaccination services, he said.

Putting the rabies control program under the auspices of the Health Board, similar to how it’s handled in Yellowstone and Missoula counties, makes sense because rabies is a public health issue, County Health Administrator Joe Russell said earlier this year. The ordinance received strong support from local veterinarians.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.