It has been more than two years since Cape Girardeau County had a confirmed case of rabies, but animal owners still need to make sure their pets are protected against the usually fatal disease.

That was the message at Thursday's annual rabies clinic in Cape Girardeau.

The clinic, sponsored by area veterinarians, will continue from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. today at the 4-H Building in Arena Park.

Cost for vaccinations is $6 for dogs and cats. City licenses for dogs and cats also will be issued.

Nearly 1,000 animals are expected over the two days.

In Missouri, six cases of rabies have been reported this year, said Nancy Foor, environmental public-health specialist with the Cape Girardeau County Health Department. A year ago 14 cases had been reported.

"The number has decreased," Foor said. "It is most likely that people are a little more aware of getting their animals vaccinated."

No cases have been reported this year, and rabies is rare in Cape Girardeau County. However, two confirmed cases in 1997 prompted a countywide rabies alert, which lasted a year.

In April 1997, a rabid skunk was found near Millersville. In November 1997, a kitten was found to be rabid in the Gordonville area.

Foor said the biggest danger lies with pets being bitten by wild animals. In Missouri, rabies usually is carried by bats and skunks, both of which are nocturnal and rarely come into contact with dogs and cats. The disease sometimes also shows up in raccoons.

"The possibility that your pets would run across a wild animal is the real reason for getting them vaccinated," she said. "If pets are vaccinated and are current on their shots, it's a whole lot easier than trying to second guess if the wild animal had rabies."

If that unprotected pet would bite a person, many times the pet is killed to be tested for rabies.

Rabies is a virus that affects nerve tissue in all warm-blooded animals, including humans, and causes death by paralysis.

"With the clinics, the cost is very minimal compared to the amount of worry and expense that you will experience if your animal does get exposed. It's a whole lot cheaper to get the vaccination."