How Vaccine Disinformation Has Infected Dog Owners

by | Sep 4, 2025 | Quick Facts

Photo by Arun Narayanan, Unsplash

How Vaccine Disinformation Has Infected Dog Owners

by | Sep 4, 2025 | Quick Facts

Photo by Arun Narayanan, Unsplash

The false information which circulated for years about vaccines "causing" autism now has dog owners adopting the same disinformation for their pets.

Rabies, a preventable disease which is 100% fatal for humans, is on the rise in the US due to people not wanting to vaccinate their dogs because they think the dogs will become autistic. This is not a myth; it’s a statistically provable claim which is the result of misinformation about vaccines. It’s a direct result of putting a completely unqualified person in charge of US health, and by that statement, I am being polite.

This is the knock-on effect of medical misinformation. It’s a tragedy that preventable diseases are now coming back to the fore because of this kind of thing.

Here is a full breakdown of the problem.

Yes, there is evidence that a significant portion of people in the US are hesitant to vaccinate their dogs against rabies (and other canine vaccines) due to unfounded fears that the shots could cause their dogs to develop autism—a belief that has been debunked by scientific consensus and veterinary experts. This trend stems from “vaccine spillover,” where anti-vaccine misinformation originally aimed at human vaccines (particularly the debunked claim linking MMR vaccines to autism in children) has extended to pets. Below, I’ll break down the key facts, data, and context based on recent studies and reports.

The Extent of the Problem

A nationally representative survey of over 2,200 US dog owners, conducted in spring 2023 and published in the journal *Vaccine,* found that more than half (53%) of respondents expressed some level of “canine vaccine hesitancy” (CVH)—skepticism about the safety, efficacy, or necessity of routine dog vaccines, including rabies. Specific breakdowns include:

  • Nearly 40% believed canine vaccines are unsafe.
  • 37% specifically worried that vaccines could cause their dogs to develop “cognitive issues, such as autism.”
  • 30% viewed vaccines as medically unnecessary.
  • 22% thought vaccines were ineffective.

This hesitancy is not just theoretical; it correlates with lower vaccination rates. For instance, about 6% of dogs in the survey were unvaccinated against rabies, 12% against parvovirus, and 13% against distemper. While not a majority are outright refusing, the spillover effect means those already skeptical of human vaccines (e.g., due to COVID-19 misinformation) are far more likely to skip or delay pet shots.

The issue has persisted and even grown since the COVID-19 pandemic amplified anti-vaccine rhetoric. A 2024 report from the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) noted that veterinarians are increasingly encountering hesitant owners, with some citing autism fears directly. As of 2025, the CDC has tracked rising rabies cases in wildlife across 15 US regions (e.g., New York, Arizona, Kentucky), partly attributing potential pet-to-human transmission risks to declining vaccination compliance. Globally, canine-mediated rabies kills about 59,000 people annually, but US cases are low (1–3 human deaths per year) thanks to mandates—yet experts warn that hesitancy could reverse this.

Why the Autism Myth Persists for Dogs

The idea that vaccines cause autism originated from a fraudulent 1998 study by Andrew Wakefield, which falsely linked the human MMR vaccine to autism in children. The paper was retracted in 2010 after being exposed as unethical and manipulated data, and Wakefield lost his medical license. Over a dozen large-scale studies since (involving hundreds of thousands of children across multiple countries) have found no link. Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition influenced by genetics and early brain development, not vaccines.

For dogs, the myth is even more baseless:

  • Autism is a human-specific diagnosis; there is no recognized “canine autism” in veterinary science. Some behaviors (e.g., repetitive actions in certain breeds like bull terriers) have been loosely compared to autism-like traits, but these are genetic or environmental (e.g., abuse or pain), not vaccine-related.
  • Canine vaccines, including rabies, have been rigorously tested and shown to be safe. Adverse reactions occur in about 0.006%–0.02% of cases (mostly mild, like swelling or itching), far lower than the near-100% fatality rate of untreated rabies.
  • Rabies vaccines for dogs have been used safely since the 1940s, virtually eliminating dog-to-human transmission in the US. Skipping them doesn’t prevent “autism”—it invites a horrific, fatal disease causing aggression, paralysis, seizures, and death within days.

Social media and anti-vax communities amplify this misinformation. For example, X (formerly Twitter) posts from 2023–2025 show users mocking or promoting the idea, with viral threads claiming “rabies vaccines change dog personalities” or “cause autism-like behaviors.” A 2019 TIME article highlighted Brooklyn pet owners refusing shots over autism fears, a trend that has since spread nationwide.

Real-World Consequences

  • For Dogs and Vets: Unvaccinated dogs risk deadly outbreaks of rabies, parvovirus, and distemper. Vets face higher bite risks—if an unvaccinated dog bites staff, it must be quarantined or euthanized, and the person may need post-exposure prophylaxis (a series of painful shots). Gabriella Motta, a Pennsylvania vet and co-author of the 2023 study, reports encountering hesitant owners daily.
  • For Humans: Rabies is zoonotic (transmissible from animals to people via bites or saliva). The WHO estimates a 70% dog vaccination rate is needed for herd immunity; dropping below that could lead to outbreaks. In 2025, the CDC reported six human rabies deaths in the prior year—the highest in years—linked to wildlife surges, with experts fearing pet hesitancy could bridge the gap.
  • Broader Public Health: This mirrors human vaccine hesitancy, which has caused measles outbreaks. States mandate rabies vaccines for dogs (with fines or euthanasia for non-compliance), but enforcement varies, and low-cost clinics exist to help. Still, if hesitancy grows, it could undermine decades of progress.

What Experts Recommend

Veterinary groups like the AVMA and British Veterinary Association emphasize: Vaccines save lives, and the autism myth is a conspiracy theory with zero evidence.

If you’re a dog owner:

  • Consult your vet for a tailored schedule—rabies shots are required in all 50 states, typically starting at 12–16 weeks and boosted every 1–3 years.
  • Low-risk alternatives like titer tests (checking immunity levels) aren’t substitutes for rabies mandates but can inform other vaccines.
  • Address concerns: Side effects are rare and manageable (e.g., split doses for small dogs).

In short, while not everyone is refusing, the belief is widespread enough (affecting over a third of owners) to contribute to hesitancy and rising risks. It’s a dangerous extension of debunked human anti-vax myths, but education and mandates have kept US rabies rates low so far. If you have a dog, vaccinate it—rabies is 100% fatal once symptoms appear, and autism isn’t a risk.

Dr. David Evans Bailey, PhD

Dr. David Evans Bailey, PhD

Dr Bailey is an artist, author and educator in New Zealand who earned his PhD studying the influences of immersive technologies in Art. His background is in Photography, Education and Information Technology and he combined these professional skills in projects using Virtual Reality and immersive types of technology. He wants to understand how ‘Digital Mergence,’ the merging of the digital and physical worlds, will influence Artists and more generally society in the future. He also a published fiction author as well as being a keen political observer and more recently commentator, inspired by his father a lifelong Liberal. Bailey engages in historical research of many periods including WW2. He has taken a keen interest in subjects such as how dictators like Hitler come to power, and what drives populations to support them. Bailey endeavours to try and present some insights into what we can learn from history's recent and long past, and the dangers of letting history repeat itself.

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