From the view of a pet owner who lives in the city or suburbs, it's easy to question whether the rabies vaccine is really necessary. You've heard about "rabid dogs," but it sounds more like folklore than something that happens in North America.

While we may not have as many strays in the United States as third world countries, they still exist in urban developments and they live on the outskirts of towns across the country. Many Americans overlook the fact that dogs predominantly harbor the rabies virus, which can be passed on to humans and other mammals through the saliva.

Most Human Cases Stem from Dog Bites

According to Dr. Jessica Vogelsang, 90 percent of the human cases of rabies worldwide stem from dog bites, and if these people are not treated, they will die. Many rabies victims are children, and the reasons why veterinarians continue to promote the vaccine is because it's extremely effective and rabies still exists in the U.S.

Any mammal can be infected by rabies, a highly contagious and fatal viral disease that's commonly found in raccoons, bats, skunks, and dogs.

Each year, as many as 50,000 people across the globe die from rabies, according to Dr. Vogelsang. In some communities where children's lives are threatened by rabid dogs, the only solution is to do a mass poisoning of stray animals.

Of the 50,000 plus human deaths that occur each year due to rabies, about 20,000 of those occur in India, where only 2 percent of the victims are able to receive the costly treatment after exposure. Fortunately RabiShield, a fast acting anti-rabies drug, will be released in India this year and hopefully it will reduce those fatalities.

In the U.S., we are fortunate to have vaccinations available to protect our pets and our community from the deadly virus, which is why every dog owner should get their pet vaccinated.

To protect your pet from rabies, get your dog vaccinated by a local veterinarian.