Rappahannock Area Health District

Rappahannock Area Health District RAHD - public health services for Caroline, Fredericksburg, King George, Spotsylvania and Stafford

If your dog, cat, or ferret has bitten or scratched someone, they may need to be placed under quarantine or observed for...
09/30/2026

If your dog, cat, or ferret has bitten or scratched someone, they may need to be placed under quarantine or observed for a period of ten days. Animal control officers and the local health department work together throughout the quarantine process, which is done regardless of the animal's current vaccination status.

Other animals such as racoons, foxes, skunks, etc. can be in the infectious stage for an unknown length of time. Because of this, wild animals are not able to be placed in quarantine and must be tested for rabies.

What is a Rabies Exposure?Generally speaking, if your livestock or domestic animals (cats, dogs, or ferrets) are bitten ...
09/29/2026

What is a Rabies Exposure?
Generally speaking, if your livestock or domestic animals (cats, dogs, or ferrets) are bitten or scratched by a wild animal or a stray cat or dog, they have had an exposure. If the biting or scratching animal cannot be quarantined or tested for rabies, it will be presumed rabid.

See the attachments for more information about exposures.

Check out our website for local health department contact information: https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/rappahannock/healthdepartments/

Animal Control Contact Information:
Caroline County: 804-633-5400
Fredericksburg: 540-373-3122, Option 2
King George County: 540-775-2120
Spotsylvania County: 540-582-7115
Stafford County: 540-658-7387

September 27 through October 3 is Rabies Awareness Week! We will be sharing information this week about what to do if y...
09/28/2026

September 27 through October 3 is Rabies Awareness Week! We will be sharing information this week about what to do if your animal is exposed to a wild animal, why domestic animals need to be quarantined or monitored after biting or scratching humans, basic rabies testing information, and how to keep your pets and family safe. We'll also share some rabies vaccination events that are coming up in our area.

We'll start and end Rabies Awareness Week with the same message because it is so incredibly important - keeping your pets and livestock up to date on their rabies vaccinations are the most effective way to keep your animals, and your family, safe from rabies.

September is Food Safety Education Month!Today's food safety tip is all about proper food storage. Storing foods properl...
09/28/2026

September is Food Safety Education Month!

Today's food safety tip is all about proper food storage. Storing foods properly is another easy way to help prevent foodborne illness. Today, we're sharing simple ways to store foods properly.

Way to go, EH team!!!
09/25/2026

Way to go, EH team!!!

Visiting the State Fair, a local pumpkin patch or other animal exhibit this season? Here are some tips on staying safe ...
09/25/2026

Visiting the State Fair, a local pumpkin patch or other animal exhibit this season? Here are some tips on staying safe while enjoying your experience:
Interactive animal exhibits can be fun and educational. Stay safe by keeping food and animals separate!
Don’t eat or drink around animals.
Don’t share your food with animals, no matter how cute they are!
Don’t eat raw (unpasteurized) products.
Wash your hands before eating or drinking.

📢🍔🎓 September is Food Safety Education Month! 📢🍔🎓Today's Food Safety Education tip is all about Safe Cooking Temperature...
09/21/2026

📢🍔🎓 September is Food Safety Education Month! 📢🍔🎓

Today's Food Safety Education tip is all about Safe Cooking Temperatures -

Different types of foods require different minimum cooking temperatures to help kill enough bacteria and other micro-organisms that can make people sick. We're sharing a chart of those minimum temperatures with you.

MOST of these temperatures are INTERNAL temperatures, requiring a food thermometer to take temperatures in the thickest part of the food after it is removed from the heat source. The exception is whole muscle beef steak, where the temperature listed is what the surface of the meat should be cooked to.

September is Food Safety Education Month!Here's another food safety tip - safe cooking temperatures.Cooking foods to the...
09/18/2026

September is Food Safety Education Month!

Here's another food safety tip - safe cooking temperatures.

Cooking foods to the proper minimum temperature helps kill germs that could otherwise make you sick. Remember to use a food thermometer to take internal temperatures of the food - don't rely on whether it looks fully cooked or not.

Address

1320 Central Park Boulevard, Suite 300
Fredericksburg, VA
22401

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8am - 4:30pm
Friday 8am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+15408994797

Website

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