ELIZABETHTOWN — The Bladen County Health Department Animal Control office has reported there have been confirmed cases of rabies reported in Bladen County.

“If your pet has contact with a wild animal and has not been vaccinated against rabies, there is a very good chance that your pet will have to be either quarantined or put down,” said Cris Harrelson, director of the Bladen County Health Department. “You cannot be sure by looking at a wild animal if they are rabid, and if your pet spends a majority of the time outside without you, you may not know if it has come into contact with a rabid animal until it is too late.”

Harrelson added that, if a pet becomes infected, it could bite anyone it comes into contact with and potentially pass rabies on to that person..

harrelson urges all residents to have their pets vaccinated. To help make it more convenient, rabies vaccination clinics are being held at different sites throughout Bladen County. The cost of the vaccine is $6 per animal at the satellite clinics; however, rabies vaccines are also available anytime at a veterinarian’s office.

The next and final series of satellite clinics will be held on Saturday, July 11, at the following sites:

— 12:30 to 1 p.m. at the Elizabethtown Veterinary Hospital

— 9:30 to 10 a.m. in the Cypress Creek Township on Bull Street/Old Fayetteville Road

— 10:20 to 10:50 a.m. in the Cypress Creek Township at the 701/210 Crossroad

— 11:10 to 11:40 a.m. in the Lake Creek Township at the Rowan Country Store

— Noon to 12:30 p.m. in the Frenches Creek Township at the Kelly Store

“The simple cost of the vaccination can save the life of your animal and save you a lot of grief over the loss of a pet and concern about the safety of your family,” said Sheila Rains, communicable cisease nurse for Bladen County Health Department. “To avoid complications get your pet vaccinated. It is cheap and easy to do.”

For information or to comment, contact the Bladen County Health Department at 910-862-6900, Animal Shelter 910-862-6918, or a local veterinarian’s office.