Delaware — rabies vaccination required for dogs, cats, and ferrets (3 Del. C. § 8204)

Delaware — rabies vaccination required for dogs, cats, and ferrets (3 Del. C. § 8204)

Source: Delaware Code Online — Title 3, Chapter 82 (Rabies Control in Animal and Human Populations), Subchapter I, § 8204, delcode.delaware.gov, extracted 2026-07-29. First-hand Delaware statute text; C1 substring-verified against pdf-raw/mandatory-vaccination/de_title3_ch82_sc01_rabies.txt. This is the statutory mandate to vaccinate (the LAW), distinct from clinical vaccine-guidance topics and from local leash/licensing ordinances.

Delaware makes rabies vaccination compulsory by statute for dogs, cats, and ferrets. Chapter 82 is titled "Rabies Control in Animal and Human Populations" and sits under Subchapter I of the same name. Section 8204 requires that any person owning a dog (or cat) 6 months of age or older have the animal vaccinated against rabies by a licensed veterinarian (or, for shelter dogs, a licensed veterinary technician under indirect supervision). A licensed veterinarian may certify in writing a medical exemption where vaccination would endanger the animal's health.

This covers the state-level "is rabies vaccination legally required?" question for Delaware at the statute level; it applies to dogs, cats, and ferrets. Local governments may operate antirabies clinics under the same section. It is not a substitute for local licensing/leash ordinances or clinical booster guidance (a separate clinical topic).

Verbatim C1 claims (each a substring of the source file)

1. CHAPTER 82. Rabies Control in Animal and Human Populations
2. Subchapter I. Rabies Control in Animal and Human Populations
3. § 8204. Rabies vaccination required for dogs, cats, and ferrets; antirabies clinics.
4. (a) Vaccination of dogs. — (1) Any person owning a dog 6 months of age or older in this State shall have that dog vaccinated against rabies by a licensed veterinarian, or by a licensed veterinary technician working under the indirect supervision of a licensed veterinarian if the dog is in a shelter and is owned by the shelter;
5. exemption from vaccination against rabies may be permitted if a licensed veterinarian has examined the animal and based on the veterinarian’s professional judgment, has certified in writing that at the time, vaccination would endanger the animal’s health because of its infirmity, disability, illness, or other medical considerations