The impact of anti-vaccine activists is spreading beyond humans. A recent study found many dog owners are skeptical of vaccinating their pets — even though that leaves animals and humans at risk.

The study, led by a researcher from Boston University’s School of Public Health and published in the journal Vaccine, found a sizable minority of dog owners have some hesitancy toward canine vaccines. Over one-third (37%) said they believed the shots were unsafe; 22% thought they were ineffective; and 30% thought they were unnecessary. Overall, 53% of dog owners endorsed at least one of these three misconceptions.

“My co-authors and I were stunned by how prevalent this phenomenon is,” lead author Dr. Matt Motta told CBS News.

Motta says an unvaccinated pet is a danger not just to other animals but also to the humans around them.

“If there are more unvaccinated dogs out there, the risk of disease transmission grows,” Motta said.

  • GiantChickDicks@lemmy.ml
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    1 year ago

    Agreed. On a sad note, when puppies come in to a veterinarian for tail cropping and dewclaw removal procedures they are not anesthetized. While it’s done in a sterile, more safe way, it’s still torture. The puppies scream. I hate being in the building for those appointments. Ear and tail cropping, declawing, de-barking, and all physical modifications for nonmedical reasons should be outlawed everywhere.