Free Rabies Vaccines For Dogs, Cats Offered In Smithtown This Weekend

SMITHTOWN, NY — Suffolk County residents can get free rabies vaccinations for their dogs, cats and ferrets at a clinic in Smithtown on Sunday, according to the Suffolk County SPCA.

The Suffolk County SPCA, in partnership with the Suffolk County Department of Health Services, will host the clinic Sept. 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Suffolk County SPCA office parking lot at the William J. Lindsay Complex, 725 Veterans Memorial Highway, Building 16.

Vaccinations will be available while supplies last.

Dogs, cats and ferrets must be older than 4 months to receive a vaccine. Dogs must be leashed, while aggressive dogs must be muzzled. Cats and ferrets must be kept in carriers, officials said.

New York State law requires domestic dogs, cats and ferrets to be vaccinated against rabies after they turn 4 months old.

Rabies is a viral disease that can infect mammals, including humans, and is typically transmitted through the bite of an infected animal. Health officials regularly monitor wild animals such as raccoons, bats and skunks, which can carry the virus.

Twenty rabies cases have been reported in Suffolk County in 2026, according to the SPCA.

Officials urged residents to vaccinate their pets, avoid contact with wild animals and report animals displaying unusual or suspicious behavior to the Suffolk County Department of Health Services.

For more information about the clinic, call the Suffolk County SPCA at 631-382-7722.