Pet Vaccinations

Our low-cost Vaccine Clinics are held every Friday from 3 to 4:30 p.m. 

at Foothills Animal Shelter, 580 McIntyre St., Golden, CO 80401

Update to Clinic Services

Effective Monday, October 16, all available cats and found cats will be relocated to our Community Room as our Cat Adoption Center undergoes renovations. Our weekly Vaccine Clinic will continue to take place, providing services only to dogs until further notice.

We apologize for any inconvenience and will update our website and social media accordingly when we are once again equipped to provide clinic services to cats.

What to Expect:

• When you arrive, expect to be greeted by one of our volunteers who will provide you with instructions. You will accompany your pet to the Community Room.
• Current vaccination records for your pet(s) are not required, but is helpful to ensure the pet receives the correct vaccinations. Please note, we cannot look up previous vaccinations done at Foothills during vaccine clinic.
• If my pet is sick will you see it?  The clinic is reserved for healthy animals receiving vaccinations.  Please do not bring your pet for vaccines if sick.

How long is the expected wait time?

• The average wait is one hour.

Is it better to come early or late to the clinic?

• If you arrive early, you will have a better idea how busy the clinic is and how long you will wait.
• If you arrive later, you do risk being at the back of a long line.  If you do arrive later on a slow day, you have the possibility of missing the early rush.
• Rest assured that as long as you arrive before 4:30 PM, we will see you and vaccinate your pet.  We will not send you away.

Qualifications:

• You do not need to be a resident of Jefferson County nor do you need to provide any income or identification to receive vaccinations.
• We accept credit cards (Discover, Visa, Master Card, American Express) and cash.  Sorry we are unable to accept checks.

Vaccine Reactions:

• Although rare, allergic reaction to vaccines can occur.
• Vaccine reactions may be seen within a few minutes to several hours after vaccination.
• It is important for you to watch your animal and keep them quiet for 24 hours after receiving vaccinations.
• If you see ANY of the following signs, contact your closest Veterinarian immediately:
  • Facial swelling
  • Hives (raised red bumps)
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Lethargy, listless or acting depressed

Rabies Vaccination

The vaccine given for both one-year and three-year rabies is the same. The length of time between vaccinations depends on the expiration date of their previous vaccine. We do need to view the previous vaccination certificate (a tag is unfortunately not sufficient proof) to validate that a rabies vaccine will be good for three years. If your pet was previously vaccinated at Foothills Animal Shelter and you do not have a copy of that paperwork, please email [email protected] or call 303-278-7575 before arriving at the Vaccine Clinic to obtain a copy of your rabies certificate.

All rabies vaccines are good for three years unless your pet meets one of the following qualifications. In these instances, your pet will need to receive its second vaccine within one year from the initial vaccination date:

• If this is their first rabies vaccine or their vaccine history is unknown, they will require a booster within one year.
• If it has been longer than one month since the previous expiration date, or there is no documentation of a previous vaccine, it will be a one-year vaccine.

If the animal has been vaccinated before against rabies and is getting a booster within one month of the due date for the booster and you can provide the certificate proving the expiration date, then it will be a three-year vaccine.

GOOD TO KNOW: We will have a limited supply of pet food available, free-of-charge, at our weekly clinics. Food will be set up outside for you to take.