Dog and cat owners can get their pets vaccinated against rabies Jan. 9 at a clinic sponsored by Santa Cruz County Animal Care and Control.

The clinic will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday on the grounds of the Rio Rico Swim & Racquet Club on Avenida Coatimundi at Pendleton Drive. Vaccinations will cost $7 each.

A record number of wild animals with rabies strayed into areas near people in 2009, said Lt. Jose Peña, Animal Control supervisor. By Dec. 31, his officers had captured or picked up 50 skunks, three bats, one coyote and one feral cat, and confirmed rabies in two horses and one cow, he said.

At Peña’s request, county supervisors declared a 60 day rabies quarantine on Dec. 2.

The measure requires owners to keep dogs at home or on a leash to prevent contact with wild animals that can carry the fatal disease.

Owners must also vaccinate all their pets and bring pet food dishes in at night.

Santa Cruz County became the second county, after Coconino County, to declare a rabies quarantine, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services. ADHS described 2009 as a “record-breaking year” for rabies. Statewide, 261 animals tested positive for rabies in 2009, 85 more than 2008, ADHS reported.

“There is no sign of rabies letting up in many parts of the state,” said Craig Levy, vector-borne disease program manager.

In Santa Cruz County, “our citations for ‘dog at large’ are up,” Peña said. Animal Control officers are also going door to door to educate the public about the dangers of rabies.

Pet owners flocked to an Animal Control rabies clinic on Dec. 19 in Tubac, Peña said. A hundred dogs and 35 cats got the rabies vaccination, a higher turnout than for a rabies clinic held last April. For info, or to report a suspicious animal, call (520) 761-7860.