Sea Isle's Four-Legged Residents are Paw-some at Rabies Clinic

By DONALD WITTKOWSKI Harper and Kelce are impeccably well-behaved, but their adventure on Saturday morning would have tested the manners of any dog. First, they had to leave the comfy confines of their own home to go outside for a ride in the pouring rain. Once they got to their destination, they stepped inside a building where a bunch of humans were staring at them and asking questions. But if that wasn’t enough, Harper and Kelce had to endure the indignity of getting poked with needles in their hind end. Yikes. “They did not like it,” Ocean View resident Mike Naperstek admitted of the two dogs that he and his girlfriend, Nicole Guest, own and brought to Sea Isle City’s rabies clinic on a soggy Saturday. But to their credit, Harper, a female beagle mix, and Kelce, a female Labrador retriever mix, maintained their composure during the whole ordeal. “No, I wasn’t worried,” Naperstek said of the dogs’ behavior at the rabies clinic. “They’re easily mannered. They just love to see people.” Mike Naperstek, left, holds Harper, during a meeting with Bea and her owner, Howard Wright. Harper and Kelce also got to meet other dogs while they were at the clinic inside Sea Isle City’s Community Lodge. Harper wagged her tail when she and Bea, a female Italian Spinone, touched noses in a polite greeting. South Seaville resident Howard Wright, who owns Bea, explained that his dog has completed extensive training through the American Kennel Club to be certified as a “Canine Good Citizen” and a “Master Hunter.” Bea also holds a “Trick Title” through the AKC, Wright said. Showing off Bea’s superb behavior, Wright had her follow a series of commands that culminated with him rewarding the dog with treats. “She’s a showoff,” Wright said. Unlike Harper and Kelce, Bea didn’t seem to mind getting her rabies vaccination. “I think she did great. Any place I go, she loves it,” Wright said. Bea performs a trick to earn a treat from Howard Wright. Funded by Cape May County, the rabies clinic is held each year in Sea Isle. Dog and cat owners are able to get their pets vaccinated for free. “It’s really important for them to protect their animals,’ Sea Isle City Clerk Shannon Romano said. “People seem very grateful. They’re thankful for the opportunity to get free vaccines.” Rabies is a contagious and fatal viral disease affecting dogs and other animals. It is transmissible to humans through the saliva of infected animals, usually from a bite. The rabies vaccine can prevent infection. Romano said Sea Isle typically handles about 20 to 25 animals each year at the rabies clinic. Sea Isle residents are also able to buy dog or cat licenses at the clinic. While most of the pets that were inoculated Saturday were dogs, there were at least two cats that came in for shots. One of them was a Maine Coon cat named Lacey. “She did wonderful. Not a peep out of her,” said Jackie White, a Sea Isle resident and Lacey’s owner. Jackie White holds her Maine Coon cat, named Lacey. White lives with her mother, Nancy O’Brien. They share ownership of Lacey and Lolly, a female whippet mix. While living in the same house, Lacey and Lolly get along fabulously. “They love each other,” White said. Lolly also was vaccinated for rabies. She seemed to do as well as Lacey, except for some nervousness. “She did wonderful,” White said. “She’s shaking a little bit. But she’s a shaker.” After getting poked with a needle, who wouldn’t be shaking?