Purported rabies shots?

Three guys carrying mini cooler boxes knocked on our door, said they were from the health department and that they were going around vaccinating dogs against rabies.

1. Is today not a government holiday?
2. Has anyone got any info on this.

No we did not allow them anywhere near our dog.

We have them come to our door in Chiapas but never in 10 years here have knocked at the door. The usual time for the rabbies campaigin is usually around April or May, a little strange for them to come around now..

They were in San Juan Cosala yesterday and asking way too many questions, like how many dogs, are you the only one in the house.
Very suspicious!!
Very young like in their 20's.

Thanks Brigitte and Hensley. Think I'll check this out a bit further. They didn't ask anything about how many dogs or people after my husband said "you're not coming anywhere near my dog."

They came to my house yesterday afternoon, a guy and a girl, both too young to be either veterinarians or government workers. He had a small cooler and a t-shirt with a logo from Min. de Salud (which anyone can get printed). Asked how many dogs and how many people live here. Without thinking (still way too naive & trusting, haven't learned that is not smart here) I answered 3 dogs and only me here. I was not about to let anyone stick some unknown concoction in my pets on the street so I told them my vet looks after shots and all are up to date. My Mex. friends said they are casing houses to rob, and I am now a prime target. They will now how much poison they need to kill my dogs... DON'T ANSWER THEM, SHUT THE DOOR ON THEM.

Milena wrote:They came to my house yesterday afternoon, a guy and a girl, both too young to be either veterinarians or government workers. He had a small cooler and a t-shirt with a logo from Min. de Salud (which anyone can get printed). Asked how many dogs and how many people live here. Without thinking (still way too naive & trusting, haven't learned that is not smart here) I answered 3 dogs and only me here. I was not about to let anyone stick some unknown concoction in my pets on the street so I told them my vet looks after shots and all are up to date. My Mex. friends said they are casing houses to rob, and I am now a prime target. They will now how much poison they need to kill my dogs... DON'T ANSWER THEM, SHUT THE DOOR ON THEM.

Just what I suspected. Sorry that happened to you Milena. After doing a bit more checking just to be absolutely certain I think I'll report this to Lakeside Crime. They did have identification tags, but those can also be faked.

I just got off the phone with City Hall. There is an official team of people going out all week with rabies shots. When I asked about the questions, the representative said that it was for official purposes in order to identify how many people had been protected by the free rabies shots.

So, it's up to you what you choose to do. We'll get our dog vaccinated by her vet.

raqueteer wrote:I just got off the phone with City Hall. There is an official team of people going out all week with rabies shots. When I asked about the questions, the representative said that it was for official purposes in order to identify how many people had been protected by the free rabies shots.

So, it's up to you what you choose to do. We'll get our dog vaccinated by her vet.

I absolutely agree that the vet should be the only one vaccinating my dog. That said, I will mention that in Tizapán there is an annual drive for free rabies shots -- but it takes place on the plaza, not house-to-house!

raqueteer wrote:I just got off the phone with City Hall. There is an official team of people going out all week with rabies shots. When I asked about the questions, the representative said that it was for official purposes in order to identify how many people had been protected by the free rabies shots.

So, it's up to you what you choose to do. We'll get our dog vaccinated by her vet.

Finally some sense. But first paranoia fed accusations. Every year the government has anti-rabies campaigns. Next I suppose the workers going door to door looking for mosquito breeding conditions in the dengue prevention efforts will be accused of being part of a kidnapping gang.

Solovino wrote:

raqueteer wrote:I just got off the phone with City Hall. There is an official team of people going out all week with rabies shots. When I asked about the questions, the representative said that it was for official purposes in order to identify how many people had been protected by the free rabies shots.

So, it's up to you what you choose to do. We'll get our dog vaccinated by her vet.

Finally some sense. But first paranoia fed accusations. Every year the government has anti-rabies campaigns. Next I suppose the workers going door to door looking for mosquito breeding conditions in the dengue prevention efforts will be accused of being part of a kidnapping gang.

Well, I might not have been so paranoid if the Health department had actually come out to our house even once before I got dengue fever, twice. Twelve freaking years in this house and not one worker from the health department has ever visited. Explain that if you will Solo.

raqueteer wrote:
Well, I might not have been so paranoid if the Health department had actually come out to our house even once before I got dengue fever, twice. Twelve freaking years in this house and not one worker from the health department has ever visited. Explain that if you will Solo.

I suppose you are home 24/7. And the mosquito that infected you most assuredly resided in your house. How ridiculous, even for you.

Solovino wrote:

raqueteer wrote:
Well, I might not have been so paranoid if the Health department had actually come out to our house even once before I got dengue fever, twice. Twelve freaking years in this house and not one worker from the health department has ever visited. Explain that if you will Solo.

I suppose you are home 24/7. And the mosquito that infected you most assuredly resided in your house. How ridiculous, even for you.

No one in my neighborhood has ever had the health department visit. That would be two mosquitos, check your glasses, and they both clearly resided near our house, if not on our property.

Try harder dude.

raqueteer wrote:

Solovino wrote:

raqueteer wrote:
Well, I might not have been so paranoid if the Health department had actually come out to our house even once before I got dengue fever, twice. Twelve freaking years in this house and not one worker from the health department has ever visited. Explain that if you will Solo.

I suppose you are home 24/7. And the mosquito that infected you most assuredly resided in your house. How ridiculous, even for you.

No one in my neighborhood has ever had the health department visit. That would be two mosquitos, check your glasses, and they both clearly resided near our house, if not on our property.

Try harder dude.

Cry me a river. And I suppose in the brief interval between this last post of yours and my post you consulted everyone in the neighborhood.
The more you yap, the less credible you become.

Of course I didn't just ring up everyone in the neighborhood you dingbat. Obviously when I got dengue I started asking around, a lot. Try exercising those leetle grey cells as Poirot would say.

raqueteer wrote:Of course I didn't just ring up everyone in the neighborhood you dingbat. Obviously when I got dengue I started asking around, a lot. Try exercising those leetle grey cells as Poirot would say.

Ha! You went around asking if workers from the health department had been visiting homes in your neighborhood? Come on, sweetcheeks, that's some of the lamest bullshit I've heard in a long time.

Solo, rumor has it that the same folks came to your door and wanted to give you rabies shots. Is that true?

Mainecoons wrote:Solo, rumor has it that the same folks came to your door and wanted to give you rabies shots. Is that true?

Actually they said they were looking for anyone who had had any contact with you, either in person or on a message board.

Solovino wrote:

raqueteer wrote:Of course I didn't just ring up everyone in the neighborhood you dingbat. Obviously when I got dengue I started asking around, a lot. Try exercising those leetle grey cells as Poirot would say.

Ha! You went around asking if workers from the health department had been visiting homes in your neighborhood? Come on, sweetcheeks, that's some of the lamest bullshit I've heard in a long time.

No it happened to come up at a party when a guest from the village told us about the health department visiting them, and putting some pellets in all areas of standing water, clearly nobody here had ever heard of it before. Subsequently I started asking questions. Did you have too much eggnog? If not, what the hell happened to explain this latest bout of verbal emesis, in other words, just so even someone with your limited capacity for thought will understand. What happened to your marbles dude? Got lost did they?

raqueteer wrote:

Solovino wrote:

raqueteer wrote:Of course I didn't just ring up everyone in the neighborhood you dingbat. Obviously when I got dengue I started asking around, a lot. Try exercising those leetle grey cells as Poirot would say.

Ha! You went around asking if workers from the health department had been visiting homes in your neighborhood? Come on, sweetcheeks, that's some of the lamest bullshit I've heard in a long time.

No it happened to come up at a party when a guest from the village told us about the health department visiting them, and putting some pellets in all areas of standing water, clearly nobody here had ever heard of it before. Subsequently I started asking questions. Did you have too much eggnog? If not, what the hell happened to explain this latest bout of verbal emesis, in other words, just so even someone with your limited capacity for thought will understand. What happened to your marbles dude? Got lost did they?

So in other words you were aware that the health department actually does send workers door to door for various reasons but that still didn't stop your paranoid drivel at the beginning of this thread?
Looks like you're not the big, bad, brave chick you want people to think you are. I'll bet you thought the chalk code they leave on the wall was actually gang members marking houses.

Solovino wrote:

Mainecoons wrote:Solo, rumor has it that the same folks came to your door and wanted to give you rabies shots. Is that true?

Actually they said they were looking for anyone who had had any contact with you, either in person or on a message board.

So you got the shot?

It didn't help.

Mainecoons wrote:

Solovino wrote:

Mainecoons wrote:Solo, rumor has it that the same folks came to your door and wanted to give you rabies shots. Is that true?

Actually they said they were looking for anyone who had had any contact with you, either in person or on a message board.

So you got the shot?

It didn't help.

No, I was too suspicious and wouldn't let them in. Figured they were really out trying to convert intelligent progressives into idiot conservatives like yourself. I prefer rabies.

[quote="Solovino"]

raqueteer wrote:I just got off the phone with City Hall. There is an official team of people going out all week with rabies shots. When I asked about the questions, the representative said that it was for official purposes in order to identify how many people had been protected by the free rabies shots.

So, it's up to you what you choose to do. We'll get our dog vaccinated by her vet.

Finally some sense. But first paranoia fed accusations. Every year the government has anti-rabies campaigns. Next I suppose the workers going door to door looking for mosquito breeding conditions in the dengue prevention efforts will be accused of being part of a kidnapping gang.[/quote]

The questions asked by these assistant functionaries strike me as being inappropriate and intrusive. We have had personnel from the city of San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas where we also maintain a residence, come to our home down there every year in the spring and all other homes in the barrio and attempt to vaccinate our dogs against rabies and we always refuse letting them know we have taken care of that innoculation. The municipality of San Cristóbal is very serious about this issue in a town overrun by stray mutts, many carrying rabies, but they never ask such personal questions and leave when invited to do so forcefully. Forget what Soloviino says. Never answer personal questions asked by strangers coming to your door whether inquiring about rabies or mosquitos. Never, ever let them into your property without carefuly verifying who they are with the city. If you cannot speak Spanish, respectfully decline their services and shut the door. Better yet, have a functioning peephole and never even open the door unless you know to whom you are opening it. The community is filled with scam artists. Remain vigilant and take care of your own rabies shots and mosquito avoidance measures.

"Intelligent" and "progressives" is an oxymoron when used in the same sentence as you so ably and repeatedly demonstrate Solo.

And if you interject politics here, the Big Bad Canuck will send you to the Octagon cellar.

Besides, I'm not a conservative, I'm a Libertarian. Go look it up.

Thanks to the Dawg for rescuing the thread.

If you think the expats are getting paranoid about officialdom and the police, you should talk to some of the Mexicans. They hate 'em.

hound dog wrote:

The questions asked by these assistant functionaries strike me as being inappropriate and intrusive. We have had personnel from the city of San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas where we also maintain a residence, come to our home down there every year in the spring and all other homes in the barrio and attempt to vaccinate our dogs against rabies and we always refuse letting them know we have taken care of that innoculation. The municipality of San Cristóbal is very serious about this issue in a town overrun by stray mutts, many carrying rabies, but they never ask such personal questions and leave when invited to do so forcefully. Forget what Soloviino says. Never answer personal questions asked by strangers coming to your door whether inquiring about rabies or mosquitos. Never, ever let them into your property without carefuly verifying who they are with the city. If you cannot speak Spanish, respectfully decline their services and shut the door. Better yet, have a functioning peephole and bever even open the door unless you know to whom you are opening it. The community is filled with scam artists. Remain vigilant and take care of your own rabies shote and mosquito avoidance measures.

I never said to answer any personal questions. Nor accept the shots if you don't want or need them.

Mainecoons wrote:
If you think the expats are getting paranoid about officialdom and the police, you should talk to some of the Mexicans. They hate 'em.

Talk to Mexicans? I hold Mexican citizenship and have had a Mexican family for over 30 years. And they don't hate the people from the Health Department.