CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — Ross County Health District is scheduled to hold a drive-thru rabies vaccination clinic on Saturday, Sept. 19, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the health district parking lot across from 150 E. Second St. in Chillicothe.
The Chillicothe Ross Chamber calendar lists the clinic as free. Quantity can be limited. Confirm hours, cost, and any paperwork with the Environmental Health Division at 740-775-1158 or eh@rosscountyhealth.org before you get in line.
Key facts: Date: Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026 Time: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Place: Ross County Health District parking lot, Chillicothe Animals: Expect cats and dogs only, based on the district’s 2026 clinic rules Format: Drive-thru Supply: First come, first served Contact: 740-775-1158 or eh@rosscountyhealth.org
Typical clinic rules from the district’s 2026 rabies clinics: Dogs must be leashed or harnessed. Cats must be in a carrier. On-site veterinarians can refuse an animal for health reasons. The health district and veterinarians are not responsible for pets.
Ohio law requires dogs and cats to be vaccinated against rabies. A current tag also helps animal control and hospitals if a bite happens.
Why rabies still matters here: Rabies is a virus that attacks the nervous system. It is almost always fatal in people once symptoms start. It spreads through saliva, almost always from a bite or, less often, from saliva in an open wound or the eyes, nose, or mouth.
In Ohio, bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes are the wild animals most often tied to rabies. Unvaccinated dogs and cats can bring the virus into a yard or house.
If a person is bitten, wash the wound with soap and water and call a doctor or the health district the same day. Do not wait for an animal to act sick. Public health staff can help decide whether the animal can be observed or tested.
Signs of rabies in animals. Call animal control or a veterinarian if a pet or wild animal shows: Sudden aggression, or unusual friendliness in a wild animal A nocturnal animal wandering in daylight Staggering, circling, or paralysis Drooling or trouble swallowing A change in voice or a choking sound Sensitivity to light or touch Biting at the air or at unseen objects
Do not handle bats with bare hands. If a bat is found in a room with a sleeping person, a child, or a pet, keep the bat if you can do so safely and call the health district. Testing the bat can decide whether anyone needs post-exposure shots.
Signs of rabies in people (seek emergency care): Early human symptoms can look like the flu: fever, headache, weakness. Later signs can include anxiety, confusion, tingling at the bite site, trouble swallowing, fear of water, and paralysis. Those later signs mean the infection is already advanced. Prevention after a bite is the treatment that works.
