--- title: Rabies Area | Happy Paws Kennels Glossary url: https://happypawskennels.com/glossary/rabies-area/ business: Happy Paws Kennels address: 6677 Midway Road, Dixon, CA 95620 phone: 707-678-6600 hours: drop-off and pick-up every day 7:30-11:30 AM and 2:00-5:00 PM type: Dog and cat boarding kennel on about 10 country acres; caring for pets in Dixon since 1971 rates: 2026 rates, effective for reservations made on or after Jan 1, 2026 (dogs from $52 a night, cats $35 a night) --- - [Home](https://happypawskennels.com/) - [Glossary](https://happypawskennels.com/glossary/) - Rabies area # Rabies area In California law, "rabies areas" are the places where the state's dog rules apply: a license after four months of age and a rabies vaccine from three months. At Happy Paws Kennels the same habit shows up as one rule for every guest, a current rabies certificate on file that stays good through the last day of the stay. [Book a stay](https://happypawskennels.propetware.com/customerLogin)[Call 707-678-6600](tel:+17076786600) The phrase comes from Health and Safety Code section 121690, which opens with the words "In rabies areas, all of the following shall apply." You will rarely hear it at a front desk, but it explains why a rabies certificate is the first vaccine record a kennel asks for. ## What the statute says Section 121690 lists what a dog owner must do inside a rabies area. Every dog owner must license the dog at least every two years once the dog reaches four months, under the ordinance of the responsible city or county. Every owner must also have the dog vaccinated against rabies by a licensed veterinarian once the dog is three months or older, at intervals the state health department sets, no more often than once a year. The text is on [the page about dog licenses in Solano and Yolo counties](https://happypawskennels.com/vaccines/dog-licensing-solano-yolo/) in plain terms. ## Puppies and medical exemptions Dogs under four months must stay on the owner's premises or under physical restraint. The law also allows a licensed veterinarian to document, year by year, that a rabies shot would endanger a dog's life because of disease or other verified reasons. The local health officer can then issue an exemption, and the statute says an exempt dog is considered unvaccinated. Any exempt dog can also be confined and kept away from animals that are not currently vaccinated for rabies. The statute's wording is the reason the topic is treated carefully; read [rabies exemptions in California](https://happypawskennels.com/vaccines/vaccine-exemptions/) before a trip if your veterinarian has written one. ## How it shows up in a Happy Paws stay The kennel asks for current rabies proof for every dog, and the rule is the same for cats: no pet is accepted without proof of a current rabies vaccine. The law behind the dog requirement is the statute above. For cats the state statute names dogs, so the cat requirement comes from the kennel's own boarding rules rather than from section 121690. Rabies vaccines come as 1-year and 3-year products, your veterinarian chooses the product, and the certificate's expiration date is what the kennel checks. The records have to be good through the end of the stay, not just the first day. A certificate that expires on day three of a ten-night booking needs a renewed copy before drop-off. Pets must also be 16 weeks old before the first day, a little past the three-month point in the statute, with all vaccinations for their age. ## Sending the certificate - Ask your veterinarian for the rabies certificate, or find the copy in your pet's records. - Upload it to your ProPetware account (the Book / My Account link), email it, or bring a copy to the first check-in. - Check the expiration date against the day you pick up, not the day you drop off. - Send updated records after any booster. ## Rabies tag or certificate The tag on the collar is a license or rabies tag issued under local rules. The record the kennel files is the vaccination certificate. Read [the rabies certificate entry](https://happypawskennels.com/glossary/rabies-certificate/) and [is a rabies tag enough proof of vaccination](https://happypawskennels.com/questions/is-a-rabies-tag-enough-proof-of-vaccination/) for the difference. ## Where to read more For the shots a dog needs each year, see [rabies vaccine for dogs](https://happypawskennels.com/vaccines/rabies-dogs/); for cats, [rabies vaccine for cats](https://happypawskennels.com/vaccines/rabies-cats/). Call 707-678-6600 with questions about a specific record. ### Sources (checked October 19, 2026) - [California Health and Safety Code section 121690](https://california.public.law/codes/health_and_safety_code_section_121690) - [California Health and Safety Code section 121575 (definition of rabies)](https://california.public.law/codes/health_and_safety_code_section_121575) - [Happy Paws Kennels, vaccination requirements](https://happypawskennels.com/vaccination-requirements/) ### 2026 nightly rates - First Class kennel $72 - Business Class kennel $59 - Economy Class kennel $52 - Cat condo $35 All-inclusive: food, medications and walks. 2026 rates, effective for reservations made on or after Jan 1, 2026. [All 2026 rates](https://happypawskennels.com/rates/) ### Visit or call 6677 Midway Road, Dixon, CA 95620 [707-678-6600](tel:+17076786600) | Drop-off and pick-up, every day | 7:30 to 11:30 AM and 2:00 to 5:00 PM | | --- | --- | | Tours, every day (no appointment) | 9:00 to 11:00 AM and 2:00 to 4:00 PM | [Book a stay](https://happypawskennels.propetware.com/customerLogin) ### Related - [Rabies certificate](https://happypawskennels.com/glossary/rabies-certificate/) - [Rabies vaccine for dogs](https://happypawskennels.com/vaccines/rabies-dogs/) - [Rabies vaccine for cats](https://happypawskennels.com/vaccines/rabies-cats/) - [Rabies exemptions in California](https://happypawskennels.com/vaccines/vaccine-exemptions/) - [Dog licenses in Solano & Yolo counties](https://happypawskennels.com/vaccines/dog-licensing-solano-yolo/) - [How often do dogs need rabies shots in California?](https://happypawskennels.com/questions/how-often-do-dogs-need-rabies-shots-in-california/) ## Read next - [Doggie door](https://happypawskennels.com/glossary/doggie-door/) - [Card on file](https://happypawskennels.com/glossary/card-on-file/) - [Indoor/outdoor run](https://happypawskennels.com/glossary/indoor-outdoor-run/) - [Kennel class](https://happypawskennels.com/glossary/kennel-class/) - [Cattery](https://happypawskennels.com/glossary/cattery/) - [Cat tower](https://happypawskennels.com/glossary/cat-tower/) - [Day care](https://happypawskennels.com/glossary/day-care/) - [Boarding agreement](https://happypawskennels.com/glossary/boarding-agreement/) Answers ## Questions people ask Still have a question? Call [707-678-6600](tel:+17076786600) (every day 7:30-11:30 AM and 2-5 PM) or see the [boarding FAQ](https://happypawskennels.com/faq/). ### What is a rabies area? It is the legal phrase in California Health and Safety Code section 121690 for the places where the state's dog license and rabies vaccine rules apply. ### How old must a dog be for the rabies vaccine? The statute says three months or older. Happy Paws accepts pets that are at least 16 weeks old before the first day of the stay, with the vaccines their age calls for. ### Does my cat need rabies proof too? Yes. Happy Paws asks for a current rabies certificate and an FVRCP record for every cat. The cat rule is the kennel's own. ### Can a dog with a medical exemption board? An exempt dog is treated as unvaccinated under the statute. Please call 707-678-6600 before booking so the kennel can look at the paperwork.