Business As Usual at Borough's Annual Rabies Clinic

The line at the borough's annual beginning-of-the-year rabies clinic moved quickly as veterinarian George Sarle took scared animals into his arms and gave them shots, one by one, today at the borough fire house.

As he did so, some lay calm, while others squirmed around, clearly uncomfortable with the idea of getting a shot. But no one at the clinic said their decision to bring their pets had been affected by news of two people in the borough being bitten by a rabid fox over Christmas weekend.

"It's just routine," Robin Ward said as she exited the clinic. "You need it for their license."

Cats and dogs are required to receive the rabies shots every three years, and the borough runs the clinic in January so pet owners start the year off right.

Even though most people at the clinic said they were simply there to make sure their pets received a routine shot, borough Environmental Health Specialist Bill Faitoute said clinic officials ordered more vaccine than usual this time around. Officials figured more people might show up, thanks to the recent rabies-related news.

But Faitoute, who took the fox's head to Trenton to be tested for rabies after the bites, said that did not happen. Normally, borough officials expect about 80 people will come to the clinic, and by the end, about that many people had shown up.

"It's the same as every year," Faitoute said.

Even though there have been no more rabies related incidents in the past couple of week, Faitoute said people should still be aware of what might be out there. There could still be rabid animals in the borough who received the disease after being bitten by the fox.

He said he has cautioned Fairmount Cemetery officials, who work near where the fox bites happened, to keep their truck nearby in case an aggressive animal comes near.

"You always wonder what's out there," Faitoute said. "That's why you should be aware of a wild animal."

Faitoute said because the borough gets the vaccine from the state, the clinics are open to all New Jersey residents.

Most of the clinic consisted of cute animals being hoisted on to a table so they could be given their shots. Photos are above at right.