MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WMOT) -- At least three Murfreesboro residents have been arrested in recent weeks on warrants for “vaccination violation.”
A search of records shows there are currently active warrants for 24 county residents for failing to get their pets vaccinated against rabies.
Michael Gregory, Director of Rutherford County’s Pet Adoption and Welfare Services, or PAWS office, says there have been 17 cases of rabies reported in Tennessee so far this year. Six of those cases occurred in Rutherford County.
Gregory says that by county ordinance any pet over 3 months of age must be vaccinated. Animal control gives residents with an unprotected pet two weeks to get the shots. If proof of vaccination isn’t provided, a warrant is issued.
“Our department takes no joy in signing out warrants on folks for failure to vaccinate. That’s why we try to give them that timeframe to get it done; trying to give them a grace period. However, if folks don’t do it we have no choice but to go further.”
Gregory says before the county started issuing warrants, his department was wasting more than 13 percent of its field calls tracking down vaccination records. Issuing warrants has cut those calls by almost half.
Gregory says vaccination violation is a misdemeanor with a $50 maximum fine.