A Texas county that has been requiring rabies vaccinations annually now allows veterinarians to decide how often the shots are needed, the Temple Daily Telegram reports.

According to the article, the Bell County Commissioners Court relaxed the county’s requirements in order to bring the county more in line with the state standards. Under the state law, an attending veterinarian may determine with the pet owner whether or not annual vaccinations are necessary.

The county had the annual requirement since at least 2000, but the requirement caused problems when a city under the county wanted to adopt the state standards. However, the city was unable to adopt the state standard since it is illegal for the city to have a law more lenient than the county, the Telegram reported.

Meanwhile, Texas’ Gillespie County reported its first case of rabies in 2011, after two (vaccinated) dogs killed a skunk in the owner’s yard, according to the Fredericksburg Standard.