An increasing number of dog owners are 'vaccine hesitant' about rabies
A new survey points to canine vaccine hesitancy


Vaccine worries are spilling over to the world of pet ownership.
Roughly half of pet owners show some level of canine vaccine hesitancy, per a study published in the journal Vaccine. Specifically, 53% of the dog owners surveyed expressed some concerns about the efficacy, safety or necessity of vaccines for their pets. "We knew that canine vaccine hesitancy existed because of our anecdotal and lived in experiences. We didn't know how pervasive it was," Matt Motta, the primary author of the study, told Reuters.
Since the Covid-19 pandemic, vaccine hesitancy has been on the rise. “I do think in this environment with the Covid vaccine and with everything that's going on ... it's starting to be getting projected on the pets," Todd Calsyn, a veterinarian at Laurel Pet Hospital in West Hollywood, told Reuters. Currently, the rabies vaccine is one of the only canine vaccine mandates in the U.S., as it has been instrumental in saving lives. The study found that the vaccine-hesitant people surveyed were, “six percent more likely to have an unvaccinated dog — and 27 percent more likely to oppose rabies vaccine mandates,” according to a statement by the report authors.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Rabies still kills approximately 60,000 people per year globally. While numbers are low in the U.S., each year “hundreds of thousands of people are bitten by wild animals or dogs suspected to have the disease,” per the statement. If contracted, rabies has a 99% mortality rate. Vaccines are one of the only ways to prevent the disease from reaching humans. “If there are more unvaccinated dogs out there, the risk of disease transmission grows and likewise for veterinarian professionals,” said Motta. And “for all of us who may come into contact with unvaccinated pets, we are potentially at risk of getting sick."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Devika Rao has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022, covering science, the environment, climate and business. She previously worked as a policy associate for a nonprofit organization advocating for environmental action from a business perspective.
-
RFK Jr. scraps Covid shots for pregnant women, kids
Speed Read The Health Secretary announced a policy change without informing CDC officials
-
New FDA chiefs limit Covid-19 shots to elderly, sick
speed read The FDA set stricter approval standards for booster shots
-
US overdose deaths plunged 27% last year
speed read Drug overdose still 'remains the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-44,' said the CDC
-
Brazil has a scorpion problem
Under The Radar Venomous arachnids are infesting country's fast-growing cities
-
Trump seeks to cut drug prices via executive order
speed read The president's order tells pharmaceutical companies to lower prescription drug prices, but it will likely be thrown out by the courts
-
RFK Jr.: A new plan for sabotaging vaccines
Feature The Health Secretary announced changes to vaccine testing and asks Americans to 'do your own research'
-
Unraveling autism: RFK Jr.'s vow to find a root cause
Feature RFK Jr. has vowed to find the root cause of the 'autism epidemic' in months. Scientists have doubts.
-
The sneaking rise of whooping cough
Under the Radar The measles outbreak isn't the only one to worry about