Pet owners are increasingly questioning routine vaccinations for their animals amid growing debate about their necessity. The concerns come as Lincoln County, North Carolina, reports a rise in confirmed rabies cases involving pets, including a kitten, a raccoon, and a skunk.1
A 2024 study published in the American Journal of Veterinary Research found that about 22 percent of dog owners and 26 percent of cat owners were considered vaccine-hesitant, expressing concerns about vaccine safety, side effects, or effectiveness.2 Another study conducted in 2023 by Boston University found that among 2,200 dog owners, nearly 40 percent believed canine vaccines were unsafe, more than 20 percent thought they were ineffective, and about 30 percent considered them medically unnecessary. Researchers described the trend as a “spillover” from human vaccine debates, noting that people skeptical of human vaccines were also more likely to hesitate about animal ones.3
Dr. Michael Q. Bailey, the president of the American Veterinary Medical Association said:
Hesitancy is not a bad thing in itself. It means you want to know more. You want to get educated. So, I strongly recommend individuals do get educated, and your veterinarian is going to be an excellent place to go for that education.4
Why Pet Owners are Expressing More Concerns About Animal Vaccines
Veterinary professionals are observing more questions from clients about the need to routinely vaccinate their pets. Some owners now ask whether these vaccines are still necessary or worry they could cause harm, even for diseases that continue to circulate among wildlife. The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) notes that many pet owners tend to focus more on the risks of vaccines than on the diseases they are designed to prevent.5
The reasons behind the increasing concern about the safety and necessity of pet vaccines vary. Some owners mention fears about possible side effects or receiving too many shots at once, while others believe their indoor pets are at low risk of exposure.6 Some owners also express a broader mistrust of medical institutions, sentiments that became more widespread during the COVID-19 pandemic.7
Changing Dynamics in Communication of Vets with Pet Owners
Veterinary organizations are now paying closer attention to how clients form opinions about vaccines. The AAHA encourages veterinarians to listen to concerns and clarify which vaccines are considered “core” versus optional when taking into consideratio the pet’s health, environment and exposure. Some clinics report that owners want detailed explanations about each vaccine’s purpose and frequency before agreeing to proceed. Others find that clients seek reassurance from multiple sources, including websites and social media, before making decisions.8
Professionals also describe shifts in tone during appointments. Conversations that once involved routine consent now often involve extended dialogue about vaccine schedules, side effects, and necessity. While most clients ultimately agree to vaccinate after discussion, veterinarians note that these exchanges take more time and sometimes reflect deeper uncertainty about medical authority in general.9
Government Response and Vaccine Policy Debates
Some government officials at both the state and federal levels are responding to growing distrust of pet vaccines. In a few cases, this skepticism has influenced proposed laws and policies.
Matthew Motta, PhD, associate professor at Boston University’s School of Public Health, pointed to one example in New Hampshire where lawmakers tried to end the requirement for dog owners to register their pets with the state. Although the bill did not pass, Dr. Motta said future attempts could succeed. He explained that registration requires proof of rabies vaccination, so removing the rule would make it harder to ensure dogs are vaccinated. Motta also said that changes in one state could affect other states.10
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Click here to view References:1 Lee H, Bracey A. Vaccine Hesitancy Concerns among pet owners as Lincoln County reports 3 more rabies cases, bringing 2025 total to 12. WCNC Charlotte Sept. 17, 2025.
2 Haeder S. Exploratory assessment of the parent attitudes about childhood vaccines survey tool to assess vaccine hesitancy and pet vaccination status among pet owners. American Journal of Veterinary Research 2024; 86(2).
3 McCoy J. Nearly Half of Dog Owners Are Hesitant to Vaccinate Their Pets. Boston University Aug. 31, 2023.
4 Wilson J. People Are Afraid To Vaccinate Their Dogs For 1 Wild Reason — And Vets Are Sounding The Alarm. Huffington Post Sept. 8, 2025.
5 Singler E, Seymour K. Vaccine hesitancy and the importance of client communication. AAHA Aug. 6, 2025.
6 Ibid.
7 McCoy J. Nearly Half of Dog Owners Are Hesitant to Vaccinate Their Pets. Boston University Aug. 31, 2023.
8 Singler E, Seymour K. Vaccine hesitancy and the importance of client communication. AAHA Aug. 6, 2025.
9 Ibid.
10 Ibid.
21 Responses
I am a physical therapist and one of my patients is a professional veterinarian. We both love dogs and were having a discussion one day about pet / dog vaccination and she brought up that all pet (dog) vaccines dosage amounts are based on 150 pound dogs. This is very concerning to me since my dog weighs 35 pounds. Is it wise to give such a large inoculation to such a small animal?
That’s important to know, thank you. At the age of 14 my West Highland terrier received a rabies vaccine and soon after developed inflammatory bowel disease. I doubt most vets would even make the connection.
My journey with vaccine hesitancy began WITH animals, notably horses, who are incredibly over vaxxed, not humans. If you imagine you know how vaccines works how can you condone your animal getting some vaccines every 6 weeks! How does that work? like with the Flu/Rino vax why does the immune system need to be erupted every 6 weeks? They are not reformulating it to catch new strains. UC Davis (2001) did a study that has now been scrubbed from the internet that showed horses that get the flu/Rino regularly were more likely to get the neurological strain and would have to be euthanized. Also, the aluminum adjuvant has made herds of sheep crazy, literally. Just ask Dr Chris Exley.
My last dog, a Labrador who died aged 15.5 years, never saw a vet; never needed to; and she was not vaccinated. She was the first dog that I had who was not given the usual vaccines. I do not believe these two facts are unrelated!
No vax for me, no vax for my dog. The insanity must end. It stops here.
Very succinct and straight to the point comment that is bathed in truth!! I am a ‘jabbie dodger’ and my 18 year old cat who plays and jumps around, has never had a vaccination during the 16 years I have so enjoyed her feline company. She is a rescued cat from a nearby cat sanctuary.
Also, after I had broken my humerus bone last February (accident in my garden) she sat on my lap for hours purring non-stop. The sound of the cat’s purr is so healing…. 😍👍😍
Keep it simple. Eliminate all vaccines.
Even in my Senior Park…….Cat owners are told their cats have to have “all the vaccines”. But here the Cats are not allowed outside.
It saddens me that they spend this kind of outrageous money.
Best ways to guard against over vaccination…..
Get blood titers before revaccinating for distemper, parvo and even rabies.
Always separate vaccinations by weeks or months. Never get multiple vaccines at one vet visit.
No. The best way to guard against vaccine harms is to not accept vaccines in the first place.
Think of the logic of your position; You’ll harm the pet less by spreading out harmful vaccinations. Well, if they’re harmful, why would you give them to your pet in the first place? Here are your new options; Eat one poison cookie today, and one poison cookie tomorrow. Or eat both poison cookies at once. You’re asking the wrong questions.
The government turns pet owners into either sadists or criminals with their pet vaccine mandates. Even for people whom know the harms, they then face a moral choice as opposed to the faux ‘health choice’.
Fun fact; Nobody pushing these products actually cares about the health of your animals. Routine vaccinations keep the customers coming in the door and are the backbone of most veterinary practices financial stability.
Next we should talk about the normalization of microchipping pets, in order to condition the humans to accept chips and tracking devices on their own persons, the emerging technocracy. Here is the neat part; You are already long since conditioned to accept these practices.
I am not hesitant for no reason. You only need to live with a pet in agony from vaccine damage to know that the vet is the last place you will get honest information. After problems, they’ll likely recommend drugs, because that is their business model.
My dog is turning 10, and he ONLY had the rabies vaccination twice, three years apart when he was young. After the first vaccination he got seasonal allergies, but I did not even think that it could be from vaccination. After the second, it was full-blown allergies to plant material. He itches so badly, at times he violently bites himself. Sometimes I bathe him in the middle of the night to soothe him, when the damp washcloth rubdown wasn’t enough. He has supplements, special shampoos, anti-histamines which make him lethargic, and a healthy diet that costs twice as much as my own. Often I am sleep deprived, but he is my firstborn, and the sweetest animal.
And this is all because I believed the vaccine BS. I checked rabies cases in the state of CA the YEAR I decided my kitten would not be vaccinated. There were TWO cases in cats near bat colonies in the San Joaquin Valley. Very likely there were more that were unreported, but I could not risk her health. I thought about NNT (number needed to treat). My in/outdoor cat is 4 1/2 years old now, and has had no vaccinations, and has had no health issues. And at times, she comforts my dog.
The more I read, the more it makes me sick. So our pets endure these tortures for pharmaceutical company gain. I can’t do it, and I will never have a dog again. I did this to him, and he could have had a life worth living. How must a parent feel with the challenges of a child on the spectrum?
Actually, it is my animals’ reaction to vaccines that has made me more hesitant about vaccines for myself!
I had one horse die horrifically from purpura haemorrhagica, plus seizures, following a strangles vaccine about 25 years ago. Another has had a serious reaction to vaccination (we think it’s the rabies vaccine) the last three years. First year: hot, swollen, painful neck–not just the injection site, the entire side of the neck (according to my large animal vet, a significant number of horses reacted thus that year). Second year: spiked temperature, violent muscle spasms which made it difficult to walk, both lasting about 6 hours. This year: within an hour of the shot, the horse was pacing blindly and manically, with constant hoarse, guttural neighing, for several hours.
In addition, one of our cats apparently had a violent reaction to one of her last vaccines–vomiting and some sort of seizures. I did not witness them–the vets kept her the rest of the day for observation.
And–did you know that there is absolutely no reporting system in place for any adverse reactions from animal vaccines? Plus the same fact as with human vaccines–that none has ever been tested against a placebo.
Another interesting point… At least one of the equine competition organizations now requires that the horse entered must have been vaccinated for rabies WITHIN SIX MONTHS of the competition! Looks like the horse mentioned above with the two neurological responses to the vaccine will never compete… I could never put him through that 2-3 times a year.
In my experience, barn owners require the same twice yearly schedule for all boarded horses. It’s not just show associations. It’s ordinary backyard horses. If you want an unvaxed horse, it’s on your own property because most barn owners are scared of liability.
No shit Sherlock, Animals have become as unhealthy as their human counterparts with the increase of useless and dangerous vaccines. I have not vaccinated any animals in over 60 years. My animals are never sick.
I appreciate this sophisticated group of readers. We have insidiously created a toxic environment for our beloved pets, and more than 1 out of 2 dogs is dying from cancer. The very least we can do for them is feed them species-appropriate food (not kibble), get rabies titers (to be able to retain our vets and meet state laws if we travel) and not give other vaccines, protect them from heartworm and fleas with garlic rather than pesticides in boxes/tubes, and keep them away from neighbors’ sprayed yards.
Sally……….titers are great….but not everyone can afford them.
Ella…..you mention your dog and “itching”……..and you mention Bat Colonies in / near San Joaquin Valley. Re: your Dog itching…..if you live anywhere in the S.J. Valley……you have to consider Valley Fever. I had to put down 4 of my beloved dogs after I moved to the S.Q. Valley due to Valley Fever. Now, I know how to use Natural Remedies…..specifically PaudArco (anti-fungal herb) and a V.F. Homeopathic. They work. My Cats also have V.F.- but I treat them with the V.F. Homeopathic as Cats cannot take PaudArco. I’m a Herbalist and Practiced for 35 yrs. Wishing you all Health.
When I got my baby dachshund he had already had his first round of vaccines from the breeder. I made the choice back in 1986 to not put a needle in my child’s arm and I never looked back. To my horror while gathering information about animal vaccines I stumbled across two individuals, one was a veterinarian of 30 years who said animals are 95% protected for their entire life with one round of vaccines. The other individual was a veterinarian whose child was injured by a vaccine. She began to question her role In vaccinating animals in her own clinic. Which led to the discovery of dark truths. She quit practicing veterinary medicine and went on to write about it. Sharing with the world her discoveries. She began to interview veterinarians in the USA, Canada and the UK, who shared their thoughts on the horrors they had witnessed and the connections they were making between the sickness and disease in the animals they were treating.
Understand the vets do not make their money off of wellness checks in animals. They make their money off of treating all of the diseases and afflictions that their vaccines cause. Leading to more dangerous pharmaceutical drug interventions to keep the poor animals propped up. Look at all the big new modern veterinary clinics popping up. They are rolling in the dough! Meanwhile, your beloved pet is suffering from the unfounded experimental injections. Crude vaccines full of aluminum, and God only knows what else is a one-size-fits-all. But hey why wouldn’t you let the doc experiment on your pet, you do it with your children. People need to wake up, but unfortunately many are still asleep, and will continue to slumber and blame the problems on others or deny their roll in the decision making. This is what happens when you put all of your trust in a movement that has been corrupted by power and greed. They do not have your best interest at hand.
To deviate away from the accepted norm is to be shamed, or fear mongered into thinking you’re wrong to be questioning the experts. Getting kicked out of the practice for noncompliance is commonplace nowadays.
We must take back what is ours. The right to choose. No questions asked. And never look back. Putting your decision in someone else’s hands is sealed fate.
Can someone share a good holistic vet page from instagram or facebook?? Not one like “comment share and I’ll DM you” but like a legit page where I can learn more?? I’ve been struggling for years to find a decent vet in Chicago
For a holistic vet near you, go on AHVMA.org website where they are listed by state.
Sorry–forgot to add…that is the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association.