photo by: Alan Olson

Dozens line up outside Bridge Street Elementary, where the final rabies vaccine clinic is held by the Ohio County Animal Shelter. The cost of the clinic were covered by the Ohio County SPCA.

WHEELING – Dozens lined up outside Bridge Street Elementary for the final day of the rabies clinics held by the Ohio County Animal Shelter to get their littlest loved ones protected from the virus.

More than 30 people lined up before the clinic began at 5 p.m. for the final day of the annual clinics, which were held at schools and community centers across Ohio County. Wednesday’s clinic at Valley Grove Community Center brought in 65 patients, according to shelter worker Wendy Neubauer. The clinics had treated over 100 patients in total, she added.

“It’s the law that every animal needs their rabies vaccine,” Neubauer said. “If they get bit by a rabid animal, they could die.”

The clinics were assisted by local veterenarians Dr. Carl Yurko and Dr. Pam Harrold in administering the vaccines.

The clinics operate at a cost of $8 per pet. However, this year, the Ohio County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals covered the cost of the clinics entirely, a first for the long-running annual program, which has been operating for more than 14 years, Neubauer said. The Ohio County Assessor’s Office also covered the cost of the dog tags, as well.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, rabies can spread to people and pets if they are bitten or scratched by a rabid animal. In the United States, rabies is mostly found in wild animals like bats, raccoons, skunks and foxes.