Why so fussy about Rabies Certificates?

The primary reason Travel Certificates are required is based on public health risks. In dogs & cats, that means Rabies. So the Rabies vaccination certificate must be complete and feature:

  • The vaccine manufacturer (e.g., Merial or Zoetis)

  • The Serial/Lot number of the vaccine (usually a five- or six-digit number)

  • The date the vaccine was administered to your pet

  • The duration of vaccine protection, typically 1-year or 3-years.

If the certificate is not complete —and many smaller vet clinics do, unfortunately, dispense certificates that are incomplete — the pet must be vaccinated again. It’s a legal requirement for Alaska, and most of the other US states & Canada.

Good Rabies Certificate example:

Yes, we administer Rabies vaccinations

(only in association with Travel certificates, however)

Note the:

  • date vaccine given (blue arrow)

  • duration of vaccine (yellow arrow, so a 3-year vaccine)

  • manufacturer (green arrow)

  • serial/lot number (purple arrow)

Insufficient certificate example:

Note that the form says “Canine Rabies vaccination, 3yr,” but there’s no Manufacturer or Serial/Lot number. (Please note: the Alaska SPCA does provide a nice complete Rabies certificate, and if you look closely you can see it peeking through on the page beneath the one pictured. This client was able to provide the complete certificate so her pet did not need to be re-boostered.)

And, as always, if you have questions, just email us, and we can help you sort through it! AnchoragePetTravel@gmail.com