Why Your Pet Needs a Rabies Vaccine

By: Karalyn McGee, Office Manager

November 18, 2025

As your local Phoenix at-home veterinary service, we are committed to providing convenient, stress-free, and most importantly, safe care for your beloved dogs and cats. While we are happy to see your pets in the comfort of your home regardless of their vaccine status, we want to have a critical conversation about one vaccine that is crucial for pet safety and public health: the Rabies vaccine.

It's a Matter of Life and Law in Arizona

Rabies is a fatal viral disease in mammals, including pets and humans, once symptoms appear. There is no cure for rabies. The virus attacks the nervous system and is primarily spread through the bite or saliva of an infected animal.

For Dogs: It is the Law!

Arizona state law and Maricopa County regulation requires all dogs over three months of age to be currently vaccinated against rabies.

• Licensing Requirement: A valid rabies vaccination certificate is a prerequisite for obtaining a required dog license in Maricopa County.

• Legal Consequences: Failure to vaccinate your dog can result in fines and legal penalties from animal control authorities.

• Quarantine Protocol: If an unvaccinated dog bites a person or is exposed to a rabid animal, it faces a mandatory, lengthy, and expensive quarantine period. A currently vaccinated pet typically has a much shorter, less restrictive quarantine.

  
  

For Cats: It's Core to Health, Even if Not Legally Required

While state law in Arizona does not legally mandate a rabies vaccine for cats, it is classified as a Core Vaccine by all veterinary bodies.

• Cats Get Rabies, Too: Cats are mammals and just as susceptible to the virus as dogs. The last documented case of rabies in a domestic animal in Maricopa County was a cat in 1982, but that doesn't mean the risk is zero.

• Wildlife Risk is Real: In Arizona, the principal carriers of rabies are wildlife like bats, skunks, and foxes. Phoenix is surrounded by desert and mountainous areas where these animals reside, and rabid wildlife can wander into urban areas. Bats are the most frequent source of rabies exposure to humans in Arizona.

• Indoor Cats are Not Immune: A bat could enter your home and infect your indoor-only cat. A quick dart out the door or through a window screen can lead to an encounter with a rabid wild animal.

  
  

Our Clinic Policy vs. Public Health Responsibility

While the rabies vaccine is not a prerequisite for us to see your animal at home, we strongly recommend and encourage dog and cat owners to keep their pets current on this essential vaccination.

We see it as our duty to educate our Phoenix community on responsible pet ownership, which includes adhering to the law for dogs and protecting all pets from a deadly, preventable disease.

During your next at-home visit, we can easily administer the rabies vaccine (either the 1-year or 3-year dose, based on your pet's history and our medical assessment) and provide the necessary certificate for your county licensing records.

Protect your pet, protect your family, and stay on the right side of the law. Let's work together to keep Phoenix happy and healthy! Is your pet due for their rabies booster? Schedule your next at-home visit with McGee Veterinary Service at 623-396-9185 today!

McGee Veterinary Service offers in-home veterinary care and peaceful at-home euthanasia to Phoenix, Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Cave Creek, Carefree, New River, Anthem, Peoria, Glendale, Litchfield Park, Surprise, Sun City, and Sun City West. To see if we cover your neighborhood, view our detailed Service Area Map.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Karalyn McGee is the Office Manager at McGee Veterinary Service. With a bachelor’s degree in biology, she brings a strong scientific foundation to the administrative side of the clinic. When she isn't wrangling the clinic's logistics, Karalyn is usually found with her nose in a good book, enjoying camping trips, or chasing after a toddler.