A group charged with resolving a conflict in state rules that caused dogs to be vaccinated against rabies more often than necessary has come up with a simple fix to a decades-old problem. The group’s solution, to require that dog owners show proof that their pet is currently vaccinated when they seek to license it at the town office, will be the subject of a public hearing in Augusta Tuesday. This simple and straightforward solution should be supported.

After concerns were raised by an owner whose dog developed a tumor at the site of its rabies shots, state officials decided to reconsider two different state rules that worked somewhat at cross-purposes. One rule, administered by the Department of Human Services’ Bureau of Health and mirroring national standards, requires that dogs be given a rabies vaccination that lasts for three years (except for the initial dose, which lasts for one year). Another rule, this one under the jurisdiction of the Department of Agriculture, requires that dogs be licensed by Jan. 1 of each year.

In order to get a license, a dog owner must present a certificate showing that a rabies shot was given within 730 days (or 360 for the initial one). This meant that most dogs are getting rabies shots every two years with a vaccine that the manufacturer and veterinarians recommend giving every three years.

Some dogs have allergic reactions to shots and some immune-mediated diseases can be triggered by vaccinations. Studies are continuing on the occurrence of tumors at immunization sites in some dog breeds.

Fear of over-vaccination, however, should not prompt people to put off immunizing their dogs against rabies, which has been found among animals in Maine and is fatal. The state’s public health veterinarian is worried that some dog owners would use the new rule to delay vaccinations. Under the proposed rule someone could license a dog although its vaccination certificate expires the next day.

Such fears are not borne out by the history of Maine’s dog licensing program. Although dog licenses were initiated in 1981 to encourage people to vaccinate their pets, the rabies immunization rate far surpasses compliance with the licensing requirement. Nationally, well over 90 percent of dogs are vaccinated against rabies, but only about 40 percent are licensed. Maine numbers are thought to be similar.

Protecting canine health while avoiding unnecessary shots, that could have negative consequences, is a good compromise.