When pet owners discuss rabies, we often mention it in reference to vaccinations. Virtually every pet care provider, from groomers to daycare facilities, require the vaccination.

This is great news for the majority of people in the United States. According to the CDC, the U.S. successfully eliminated the canine rabies virus. In order to keep it from returning, dogs and cats still need to be vaccinated to protect our pets from getting rabies from wildlife.

World Rabies Day is September 28th and was established in 2007. According to the CDC, rabies is a 100% preventable disease, but more than 59,000 people die around the world annually from it. The goal of major world health organizations is to eliminate rabies by 2030.

To find out more about the work of the CDC’s rabies experts around the world, click here.