Friday's Internet Edition, August 29, 2008.
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News editor - Coryell County Commissioners heard from Justice of the Peace Jimmy Wood about changes the state has made to the regulation regarding the frequency of rabies shot.
Prior to March 19, Texas required pet owners to have their pet vaccinated for rabies once a year; the new regulation states pets only have to receive a rabies vaccine every three years, said Wood.
However, municipalities can set their own rabies regulations and since Coryell County has the second highest incident of rabies in Texas, he said he hopes the commissioners will leave the county’s regulation as is, with pets receiving vaccinations once a year.
“I think it’s safer to leave the county’s regulation as it is,” said Wood. “Even if the animal is not vaccinated every year and gets bit by a rabid animal, there is still some vaccine left in the animal,” he added.
The county’s policy currently states that if a rabid animal bites a pet, the pet must either be quarantined or euthanized, even if it has been vaccined.
Commissioner Cliff Price disagreed with charging pet owners a quarantine fee when their pets are up to date on vaccines. Commissioner Jack Wall asked Wood if he had approached other entities.
After Wood said he hadn’t, commissioners voted to refrain from making a decision until more information can be gathered.
Commissioners opened bids on the renovation of the county courtroom and voted to pass the bids along to the architect to study before approving a bid. They voted to do the same regarding bids for software for the sheriff’s department, to give the sheriff and a computer technician time to study them.
Commissioners also awarded bids for paving material and a bank depository. They voted to being advertising to sell the county’s used equipment.