abies is a zoonotic disease, meaning that it is transmittable between people and animals, and once symptoms appear, it is almost always fatal to the animal or the person. The rabies vaccine is legally required for all dogs and cats in all 50 states and U.S. Territories, and most places in the world. But not all countries are as compliant, and the disease is still globally present everywhere.

Many nations also have large populations of stray dogs, including the United States. Stray dogs globally are mostly unvaccinated but still live in and around people to survive. So the risk remains real, even in our own country.

Rabies vaccines are usually required of puppies somewhere between four and six months of age, well after their earlier puppy wormings and shots. As groomers, we are legally obligated to check for rabies vaccinations with all of our grooming clients regardless of age.

It is also advisable if you own a grooming business to check with your property insurance company for what they require you to carry in terms of insurance to cover transmissible disease risks and for liability. Many states also legally require groomers to report all dog and cat bites for this very reason.

Other potentially deadly and very serious diseases that dogs should be vaccinated for include Parvo and Distemper. Canine parvovirus (CPV) can be airborne, and while people cannot get CPV from dogs, we can get another form of parvovirus, Parvo B19, that is transmissible between people.

Laws will vary in different locations. For example, rural areas versus urban areas will carry different requirements and regulations regarding vaccines. One reason is because of the large numbers of rats in urban areas that carry Leptospirosis, which might change the laws required for those vaccines in various counties. Every groomer should check the exact laws for the localities in which they work.

Only in the rarest of circumstances might this mandate for vaccinations not apply to us. I once was brought an adolescent Old English Sheepdog who was allergic to everything including vaccinations. The owner produced a letter from the veterinarian that I kept a copy of, which documented the fact that this dog could not be vaccinated in any traditional ways. That letter from the veterinarian satisfied the local ordinances, but I did have to check to make sure this would be acceptable locally to meet the ordinance requirements.

Many of us remember the horrific wave of a mutated bird flu from Asia that turned into the Canine Flu, H3N2 virus, that started killing dogs in Chicago in 2015 and spread nationally like crazy. The hardest part about that deadly epidemic was that there were no vaccines for this new mutation, and dogs were dying rapidly and in large numbers. It goes without saying that disinfecting every surface an animal touches—tub, table, crate—also plays a role in disease control.

Whenever we groomers get a new client, we should give them a legally constructed client contract, and they should have to produce all vaccine records and any updated relevant health records. We should know who their veterinarian is and we should discuss with the owner in advance the access to the veterinarian while the pet is in our care. We should also include language in our client contracts about owner financial responsibilities and veterinary records access.

Groomers aren’t just haircutters—we care for dogs. We are paid to be an expert in what we do and to be professional with the pets we care for. That’s why this important detail work of vaccination compliance should be built into the heart of your grooming business.