I had a rescue dog that I had vaccinated every year. When she reached about 14 years old and began to have health problems, my vet recommended stopping the vaccinations because 1) she already felt like crap and the vaccine would knock her down further, and 2) she never went anywhere so she wasn't exposed.
Fast forward a few years...she died at the ripe old age of 17 and I wanted another dog. I registered with several rescue agencies in hopes of adopting another rescue. The two agencies that called me back ended up turning me down because of the vaccination history of my old dog! They both called my vet to check out my history as a pet owner and they asked for the vaccination record, so that's how they found out. They didn't seem to care that I followed my vets' recommendation - I should've sought the advice of another vet! Although I applaud the rescue groups for researching potential pet owners, I think there are certain circumstances that should be taken into consideration.
Sorry so long - my point being, if you think you might want to adopt from a rescue group in the future, be sure to follow the recommended vaccination schedule for your area, lest you be cast out as a bad pet owner like me.
Fast forward a few years...she died at the ripe old age of 17 and I wanted another dog. I registered with several rescue agencies in hopes of adopting another rescue. The two agencies that called me back ended up turning me down because of the vaccination history of my old dog! They both called my vet to check out my history as a pet owner and they asked for the vaccination record, so that's how they found out. They didn't seem to care that I followed my vets' recommendation - I should've sought the advice of another vet! Although I applaud the rescue groups for researching potential pet owners, I think there are certain circumstances that should be taken into consideration.
Sorry so long - my point being, if you think you might want to adopt from a rescue group in the future, be sure to follow the recommended vaccination schedule for your area, lest you be cast out as a bad pet owner like me.
