This article was originally printed in the January/February 2024 issue of the California Veterinarian magazine.
Existing law requires that a dog three months of age or
older must be vaccinated against rabies (California Health and Safety Code section 121690(b)). The rabies vaccination is a prerequisite to licensing, which is required under subdivision (a) of the same section. In 2012, the California legislature passed “Molly’s Law,” which was an amendment to the Health and Safety Code declaring that the vaccination requirement is exempted in a dog whose life would be endangered due to disease and other considerations that a veterinarian can verify and document as a result of receiving the rabies vaccine.
Local animal health authorities are vested with the jurisdictional authority to either grant or deny an exemption request. The following is a summary of the requirements outlined in the law in order for a dog to be considered for exemption:
The law mandates that local health authorities create a rabies vaccine exemption request form that an owner must obtain and submit to authorities. The form must include a signed statement from a veterinarian explaining the inadvisability of the vaccination and a signed statement by the dog owner affirming that the owner understands the consequences and accepts all liability associated with owning an unvaccinated dog.
It is incumbent upon owners to obtain forms from the county and apply for exemption on an annual basis. Veterinarians are not required to perform this function on behalf of owners. The only obligations of the veterinarian are to examine the dog on an annual basis to confirm that the dog should or should not receive the rabies vaccine and to then issue a signed statement explaining the inadvisability of the vaccination.
Note that submitting rabies antibody titers to local animal health authorities is insufficient for a vaccination exemption to be granted in accordance with the law.
This article is for informational and general educational purposes only. It is not intended to take the place of legal advice nor should it be considered as a legal interpretation. Although significant effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information at the time of publication, the CVMA shall not be responsible for any errors or omissions, or any agency’s interpretation, application, or enforcement of the information presented herein
.
It’s Not About Politics….It’s About Your Profession. The CVMA-PAC is a bipartisan political action committee whose purpose is to educate state legislators and candidates on issues of importance to the veterinary profession