MATTAPOISETT – Mattapoisett hosted a cat and dog rabies clinic at the old fire station on County Road earlier today.

From 10 a.m. to noon, cats and dogs received vaccinations for $15 each.

“We put this event on every year,” said Dr. William Hall of the Mattapoisett Animal Hospital, the veterinarian administering vaccines on Sunday. “It’s great. It encourages public health.”

Hall explained that rabies is a zoonotic disease, meaning it jumps from animals to humans, and it is usually fatal.

In addition to the Mattapoisett Animal Hospital, the event was sponsored by Mattapoisett’s Natural Resource Department.

Kathy Massey of Mattapoisett Animal Control was there, along with her daughter, Kelly Massey, to help sign animals in and hand out rabies tags.

The money raised at the event goes back to the Mattapoisett Animal Hospital.

Although Mattapoisett hosted the event, it was open to all pet owners regardless of residence. But only Mattapoisett residents could license their pets at this event.

Hall said dogs require an initial vaccination at 12 weeks old, another at a year old, and then one every three years after that.

“Cats get a different vaccine than dogs,” he said, adding that cats require a yearly rabies vaccine.