Vaccine Verification at Intake — What’s Legally Required vs Just Smart

Vaccine verification is one of those topics where being informal costs you exactly until the day it doesn’t. The day a kennel cough outbreak traces back to your salon, "we usually ask" is not a defense.

Legally Required vs Strongly Recommended

Legal requirements vary by state and county. Rabies is essentially universal — most states require rabies vaccination for any dog over 3 months old in commercial care. DHPP and Bordetella are typically not legally required for grooming-only services, but they are strongly recommended and required by most boarding facilities. Know your local requirements; ignorance won’t protect your insurance.

Rabies Non-Negotiability

Rabies is non-negotiable for grooming. No exceptions, no "we’ll verify next visit," no friend-of-the-family pass. If a dog bites a groomer and you don’t have current rabies records on file, the legal and insurance ramifications get serious fast. Verify at intake, every client, before the dog crosses the threshold.

DHPP and Bordetella for Grooming

For grooming-only, DHPP and Bordetella are highly recommended but not strictly required. The risk profile depends on your facility. If your salon also does boarding or daycare and dogs share air space, require both. If grooming is fully siloed, you can be more flexible — but recommend both anyway.

The Intake Workflow

• At booking: client uploads vet records or selects "I’ll bring them."
• 72 hours before: automated SMS reminder if records are missing.
• At drop-off: staff confirms records on file before the dog goes back.
• Missing or expired: client provides vet contact, staff calls vet for verification, dog stays in the lobby until verified.

The intake workflow only fails when staff feel pressure to "just take the dog and we’ll get the records later." The records never arrive later.

Handling Expired Vaccines

Expired by 30 days or less = grace period, dog can be groomed today, must update before next visit. Expired by more = reschedule and require updated records. Be human about this — vaccines lapse, life happens — but be firm about the next visit.

Documentation That Holds Up

Keep digital copies of every vaccine record, with vet name, date, lot number if available, and expiration date. Auto-flag dogs with vaccines expiring in 30 days so you can prompt the client. Records should be searchable, exportable, and retained for at least 5 years.

Pair this with a clear aggressive dog policy and consistent photo documentation.

Animal Friends OS handles vaccine record uploads, expiration tracking, and intake-block-on-missing workflows automatically. See grooming software.