GUELPH – World Rabies Day is Sept. 28, and Equine Guelph is participating by reminding people of the importance of taking action to protect horses, and people, from rabies.
The theme for this year’s World Rabies Day is “Act Now: You, Me, Community,” according to the Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC).
This theme highlights the power of individual and collective responsibility in preventing this deadly disease.
Legal requirements
In Ontario, rabies vaccination is not just a precaution – it’s the law.
Ontario Regulation 567, Rabies Immunization, under the Health Protection and Promotion Act, “Every owner or person having the care or custody of a horse, cow, bull, steer, calf or sheep shall ensure that each such animal is immunized against rabies,” unless the animal is only accessible to caretakers or is at a seasonal agricultural fair and not part of an interactive display such as a petting zoo.
This means that horses involved in public-facing activities including petting zoos, therapy programs, riding schools, and other animal experience events must be vaccinated against rabies.
Rabies vaccination is also legally required for all cats, dogs and ferrets over three months of age, Equine Guelph officials note.
Vaccination Equi-Planner
To help horse owners stay on top of their vaccination schedules, Equine Guelph offers the Vaccination Equi-Planner, a free online tool that creates a personalized immunization calendar based on your horse’s age, use, and location.
Rabies is among the core recommended vaccines in horses in Equine Guelph’s Vaccination Equi-Planner healthcare tool (TheHorsePortal.ca/VaccinationTool) due to the deadliness of the disease.
Sponsored by Zoetis, the Vaccination Equi-Planner is designed to explain the risk factors and then provide a print-out personalized to an individual horse’s vaccination needs.
“Core vaccinations are critical for the protection of horses from serious viral and bacterial toxin diseases, Zoetis Canada equine technical services veterinarian Tamara Quaschnick stated in a press release.
“We are fortunate to live in a region of the world where highly effective vaccines are readily available and can turn the risk of deadly disease into a preventable concern,” she continued.
“The threat of rabies to both horses and humans is real and the course of disease is brutal and invariably fatal. The stakes of leaving your horse unprotected are high.”
National, international rabies control
Rabies is a reportable disease in Canada, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) plays a key role in its control.
All animals entering Canada, including horses, must be vaccinated against rabies if they originate from a country where rabies is present, and the CFIA may require proof of rabies vaccination for horses crossing international borders.
All suspected cases must be reported to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) which conducts tests and posts summaries of the results online.
Rabies is 100% fatal once symptoms appear, but it is also 100% preventable through vaccination.
While rare in horses, rabies can be transmitted to humans and other animals through bites or saliva. In regions like Ontario, where rabies continues to circulate in wildlife, vaccination is a vital line of defense.
“The 2025 theme, ‘Act Now: You, Me, Community,’ reminds us that rabies prevention is a shared responsibility,” Equine Guelph officials stated.
“Whether you’re a horse owner, veterinarian, event organizer, or simply an animal lover, your actions matter. By vaccinating horses and other animals, we protect not only animal health but also human and environmental health.”
Equine Guelph course
Equine Guelph offers a short online course, sponsored by Zoetis, called Sickness Prevention in Horses.
Based on the Canadian standard for equine biosecurity, the course breaks down important information into easy, practical tips people can use right away, officials stated.
“Maintaining health is everyone’s responsibility and for only $45 tuition, this important short online course could save you thousands in veterinary bills,” they continued.
To register for the course visit thehorseportal.ca/course/on-demand-sickness-prevention-in-horses/.
