This page answers only the interval. The kennel's full dog rabies page covers the rest of the rabies rules.
What the law says about timing
California Health and Safety Code section 121690 sets two clocks for a dog. The first is age: a dog three months or older has to be vaccinated against rabies by a licensed veterinarian using a vaccine the state has approved. The second is spacing: the vaccine is given at intervals of not more often than once a year, as the state health department prescribes. A veterinarian who documents a medical reason can write an exemption, but that is the exception and it is the vet's call, not the owner's.
One-year and three-year vaccines
Rabies vaccines for dogs come as 1-year and 3-year products, and your veterinarian chooses the product and sets the booster schedule for your dog. The certificate your vet hands you shows the date given and the date it is good through. That second date is the one a kennel cares about.
What Happy Paws checks at the front desk
No dog is accepted without proof of a current rabies vaccine. The kennel keeps a copy of your dog's vaccination records on file, and the records have to show the rabies shot is up to date and will not run out before the last day of the stay. A certificate with eleven months left is fine for a week at the kennel. A certificate that expires on day four of a ten-day stay is not, even though the dog is legal on the day you drop off.
A simple way to stay ahead of it
Put the rabies expiration date on your calendar the day you receive the certificate, and look at it again whenever you book. If the date falls inside your travel window, schedule the booster before you come. Upload the new certificate to your ProPetware account, email it, or bring a copy at check-in. The how to send records page walks through each option, and the dog rabies vaccine page has the rest of the rules.
Dogs that are overdue
A dog whose rabies vaccine has lapsed needs a visit to the veterinarian before the stay, and then the new certificate goes on file. Call 707-678-6600 if you are not sure which date applies to your dog.