Rabies is the one dog vaccine that is a matter of law, not just kennel policy. This page explains what the law says, what the kennel asks for, and what to send with your booking request.
What California law says
The state rule is California Health and Safety Code section 121690. It says dog owners must have their dog vaccinated against rabies by a licensed veterinarian, using a vaccine approved by the state, once the dog is three months old or older. It also says dogs must be licensed once they reach four months, under the ordinance of the city or county where you live.
The same section lets a veterinarian document a medical exemption for an individual dog. That is a decision between you and your own vet, and the paperwork has to come from the vet.
What Happy Paws Kennels needs
The kennel's vaccination page states it plainly: a current rabies vaccination is required for every dog, and the kennel is not able to accept a dog without proof of it. The record must show the vaccine is up to date and will not expire during the stay, so check the expiration date against your pick-up day, not your drop-off day.
The kennel's page says the rabies vaccine is re-administered every three years in healthy adult dogs. How often your own dog is due depends on the product used and the date of the first shot, so your veterinarian's certificate is the final word.
- Proof can be a rabies certificate or a vaccination record signed by your vet.
- Upload it to your ProPetware account, email it, or bring a copy to the first check-in.
- Send an updated record after any booster.
Why rabies is taken seriously
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes rabies as nearly always fatal once symptoms appear, but preventable when care starts before then. It spreads mainly through bites or scratches from an infected animal, and in the United States wildlife such as bats, skunks, raccoons and foxes are the animals most often found with it. Keeping pets current on the vaccine greatly lowers the chance that they get the disease or pass it to people.
A boarding kennel puts many dogs and many people in one place every day. Requiring proof for every guest keeps the rule simple and fair.
Before you request a stay
Find the certificate, read the expiration date, and compare it with your pick-up day. If it runs out during the stay, ask your veterinarian about renewing before you drop off. The vaccine readiness checker walks through the same questions for every vaccine on the list, and the full list is on the vaccination requirements page.
Questions about whether your dog should or should not be vaccinated belong with your veterinarian. The kennel can only tell you what it needs to see on paper. Please call 707-678-6600 to confirm for your pet.