Will Falconer, DVM Moderator
Hi Melanie,
Liability and rabies in- or out of date are two different things. If she bites and wounds a dog and that dog gets treatment, you could be liable to pay the bills.
I *think* it's possible animal control could step in and set a 10 day observation period, hopefully at home, but not always. More commonly, that happens when a person is bitten.
One reader recently learned the fine for not "keeping current" where she lived was $35! That'd be a whole lot less expensive than treating chronic disease, especially if she ended up with IMHA. Besides cost, that can be fatal in up to 50% of the ones who get it.