Originally Posted by
deac83
An update: 7 days after the biting incident, the owner has not sent the rabies certificate to the health department.
If you have the contact info for the owner, I suggest calling him and letting him know that you intend to have the first shot if he can't provide proof that his dog has been vaccinated. If you can't reach the owner or if he doesn't immediately provide the required information, I would ask the health department to explain to him the necessity of providing proof of vaccination and the cost to him for the needed treatment if he does not. I would also let the hotel know that you are considering getting vaccinated if the owner isn't forthcoming.
According to the CDC, no person in the US has contracted rabies from a dog or cat held in quarantine for 10 days. Although it is statistically unlikely that you will contract the disease, rabies is considered the world's mostly deadly virus. Expecting the owner of a dog to either provide prompt proof of vaccination or to cover the costs of treatment isn't unreasonable. The shots are not cheap and the costs of receiving them in the ER are much higher than in a doctor's office. Unfortunately, depending on where one lives, the ER may be the only option.