Adding a new puppy to your family can be a very exciting event. But, owning a puppy also comes with a lot of responsibilities. One responsibility that you have as a dog owner is to vaccinate your puppy. Over the first few months of your puppy's life, he will need several rounds of vaccinations. As he grows, he will need some booster shots on an annual basis. When you get your puppy, he will have most likely had at least one round of vaccinations, but you will need to make arrangements for the rest of them. Below are some of the top reasons to get pet vaccinations at your local animal hospital.

Protect His Health

One of the biggest reasons to vaccinate your dog is in order to protect his health. The diseases that can be prevented by vaccines can make a dog incredibly ill, and in some cases they can be fatal. There is no reason to take the risk of your dog falling ill when it is so easy to prevent diseases through vaccination. In addition to protecting your puppy's health, vaccinations can help prevent the need for very expensive and invasive veterinary treatment that is required when a dog contracts a vaccine-preventable disease.

Follow the Law

Almost all counties require a puppy to be vaccinated for rabies before he can be licensed. Rabies is an incredibly dangerous disease that can affect domestic pets, wildlife, and humans, which is why rabies vaccinations are absolutely essential. If you do not vaccinate your puppy for rabies, you will not be able to obtain your dog license. It is also possible that you could face fines or fees for owning a dog that is not vaccinated. 

Affordable Options

Those who fail to vaccinate their puppies often blame finances or say that they can't afford the cost of taking their puppy to a vet for vaccinations. Luckily, there are a number of organizations that offer free or very low cost pet vaccinations services on a regular basis. If you have a puppy but finances are tight, you can utilize one of these programs to help ensure that your puppy receives all of the vaccinations that he needs in order to remain healthy. Since free and low cost vaccinations are available in almost all areas, there really is no excuse for dog owners to not get their puppy fully vaccinated according to the recommended schedule.