It’s obvious that the rules are not widely known. I have the distinct impression that the reason nobody knows what the rules are is that nobody actually applies for a DC dog license.

That’s what I was told yesterday. However, today, I got a clarification that it is not the case. Rabies is the only vaccination required by law. The vet is willing to do titers in lieu of vaccination in three years. She won’t take responsibility for my failure to comply with the law, though. She also said that the research confirming that high antibody titers correlate to an immune response comparable to a normally vaccinated dog is not yet conclusive.

I’m not sure that it matters whether there is a risk to human health. I think a city can make just about any kind of law as long as it isn’t disallowed by the US Constitution or a state constitution. In the case of DC, the Congress can pass laws that directly affect our governance but we don’t have voting representation in Congress. That’s a whole other topic.

Leptospirosis is very common here and it is zoonotic. Like Rabies, Leptospirosis presents a risk to human health. We’re not yet required by law to vaccinate our pets for lepto.

Titers have limited usefulness in deciding whether to vaccinate again. Titers do not show whether the dog is capable of mounting an immune response; only whether it has circulating antibodies due to vaccination or recent exposure. Titers are very useful for two things: checking to see whether a recently vaccinated puppy has seroconverted and produced immunity, and checking the immune status of a pregnant bitch to know when to start vaccinating the pups.

Frankly, the law is stupid, does not follow the current science, and should be struck down.