AUGUSTA – A controversy is swirling across the country regarding pet vaccinations, and, once again, Maine is in the forefront in enacting proactive legislation.

A new rule that more clearly aligns the timing of vaccinations with the recommendations of veterinary experts and vaccine manufacturers will go into effect next week while a bill promoting full disclosure of vaccination risks and side effects is being proposed.

Meanwhile, a key provision allowing exemptions for ill or allergic pets was omitted from the rule and now will begin its own rule-making process.

The new rule, which brings Maine regulations into line with the rest of the country, uses a three-year standard for revaccination, rather than a two-year standard. It will go into effect on Oct. 14, the day before 2005 dog licenses become available.

This is cause for celebration for Kris Christine of Alna, who first brought the regulation discrepancies to the public’s attention when her family dog developed a cancerous tumor where it had been given the rabies booster shot.

“Even though it is a partial victory for the dogs of Maine, it is a victory,” Christine said this week. “We have a bottle of champagne chilling and a bag of dog biscuits ready.”

Meanwhile, Christine and other dog advocates are working hard to clarify vaccination exemptions and full disclosure by veterinarians regarding possible risks and side effects of all routine vaccinations.

Legislation is planned for the next session, which will further force veterinarians to offer clients vaccine risk assessment information. Sen. Chris Hall, D-Bristol, has vowed to introduce a bill in November that would require veterinarians to educate clients about the risks of vaccinating versus not vaccinating pets.

“I have had more e-mail, calls and letters on animal vaccinations than any other subject except human health care,” Hall said Wednesday. “Like most jurisdictions, Maine does not collect data on pet mortality or morbidity, so it is hard to form impartial judgments on the possible side effects of vaccination or overvaccination, and, of course, the veterinary community is divided on these issues.

“My concern, in the light of great popular interest, is not to require arbitrary rules governing vaccination, but to better inform the public.”

The Maine Veterinary Medical Association has announced that it will support increased client education but would prefer to handle the issue on its own, without legislation. Before Hall’s bill is introduced, the association will be sending members vaccine brochures and developing a consent form for owners in an attempt to sidestep legislation.

Kristine said Hall’s bill will be based on experts’ studies of immunity results and would allow pet owners to choose to vaccinate pets once every seven years or less for distemper, parvo, hepatitis and other diseases instead of annually, biennially or triennially.

“Pet owners must have this information in order to make an informed choice, and the disclosure form must be drawn up by those professionals who do not have a direct financial interest,” she said.