I was at the city Animal Services office to renew Jasmine’s dog license and to provide proof of her Rabies vaccination the other day. Of course, I had to peruse the available doggies…oh they were so cute. There was a cute little dachshund there, but he was a puppy (bad for Jasmine) and a totally unsocialized stray (even worse for Jasmine), so I didn’t bring him home. I know we’ll find the right dog sometime…it will just take some time.
When I got home, I coincidentally had an email from the Veterinary clinic where I take Jasmine. They sent me a note that stated:
“As a courtesy to our clients we want to inform you that the City of San Jose is now requiring us to notify them of Rabies vaccines administered at our clinic. We are required to send your name, address, phone number and pet’s information to the City of San Jose after we administer a rabies vaccine to your pet. In the past, the veterinary field has resisted policing Rabies vaccines and the city has not enforced the California State Health and Safety Code that applies to this issue. Recently, however, the city is enforcing the code and requiring veterinarians to comply or risk losing their California Veterinary License. This change is effective immediately as the city began enforcing State Health and Safety Code 121690 (e) and (h) as of July 1, 2008.”
I have a really big problem with this. Veterinarians are VERY concerned about turning over this data to the city. They feel that people might opt to NOT have their animals vaccinated if it means that their information will be turned over to the city. It’s another reason why people dislike government…let’s just trample all over our right to privacy for the purpose of taxation. I know…it’s rarely ever that simple, but I’m really uneasy about the larger implications.
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