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Rabies is a preventable, viral disease of mammals that can be transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal. In Oregon, rabies is present in bats and foxes. Rabies is fatal for humans and other mammals if not treated on a timely basis.
If you receive a bite from an animal—especially a wild animal—that breaks the skin and/or draws blood, it is very important that you report the bite immediately.
| Clackamas County (dog bites) | 503-655-8628 503-557-2829 (fax) |
| Clackamas County (other animal) | 503-655-8411 503-742-5389 (fax) |
| Marion County | Environmental Health 1-503-588-5346 1-503-566-2986 (fax) |
| Multnomah County | Animal Services 503-988-7387 503-988-3002 (fax) |
| Washington County | Office of Epidemiology 503-846-8388 503-846-3644 (fax) |
| Elsewhere in Oregon | Oregon Health Authority 971-673-1111 |
| Other animal bites | Communicable Diseases 503-655-8411 503-655-8350 (fax) |
After hours, holidays and weekends when rabies is suspected, call:
Clackamas County Communicable Diseases, 503-655-8411 or Oregon Health Authority, 971-673-1111
Protect yourself and your pets
You can protect your warm-blooded pets and yourself from rabies. If your pet is three-months old or older and you don't know whether it has been vaccinated against rabies, check with a veterinarian. If an unvaccinated pet is exposed to rabies, the recommendation is that it be euthanized or placed into a required, strict, four-month quarantine.
If a bat or other wild animal bites you—or if saliva from a bat or other wild animal gets into your eyes, nose, mouth or a wound—wash the affected area and get medical help immediately. Never handle a live or dead bat with your hands.
There is no treatment for rabies after symptoms of the disease appear in humans. However, there is an effective rabies vaccine series (post-exposure prophylaxis) available to humans if administered as soon as possible after the exposure and within a limited timeframe. With appropriate and timely treatment, most humans can expect a full recovery.
Veterinarians can provide one-stop service for dog licensing and vaccinations
Clackamas County residents are required by law to license their dogs, and in order to be licensed, a dog must have an up-to-date rabies vaccine.
To help dog owners, Clackamas County requires all veterinarians in the county to report rabies vaccinations they administer to dogs. This means dog owners don't have to send a copy of the vaccination information to Dog Services when they buy their county dog license from their veterinarian. Licenses are variable depending on the rabies vaccine expiration.
The licensing fees help all animals in our community stay healthy, help the county provide care for lost and homeless dogs, support field services that respond to calls such as dog-at-large, dog bite and neglect, and can be your dog's ticket home if they become lost.
