In cats, the core vaccinations are:

Noncore vaccines for dogs include nearly a dozen shots for illnesses such as leptospirosis, bordetella (kennel cough) or Lyme disease. Those shots should be given based on the region the animal lives in and its lifestyle, says Schultz. For instance, if the animal is boarded or groomed and exposed to other dogs, it should receive the kennel cough vaccine.

As for cats, Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine issued a report in 1998 that said cats should be inoculated with noncore vaccines for feline leukemia, feline infectious peritonitis, chlamydia and ringworm only after the pet's lifestyle has been carefully evaluated.

Some cats live their lives completely indoors and are rarely or never exposed to other cats or illnesses; therefore, they don't need noncore vaccines.

But while some veterinarians advocate customizing shot regimes to individual pets, others balk and say the risk of reaction to shots isn't worth the risk of getting the disease. Veterinarian Dr. David Hannon says he's treated lots of cases of parvo, distemper and other illnesses and he'd rather vaccinate his clients as a precaution.

"We work in the trenches," says Hannon. "Parvo and distemper in dogs and upper respiratory infections in cats are real. I've seen a lot more animals who have these illnesses than I've seen animals react negatively to a vaccination."

Schultz said if the guidelines are followed, the animal should be completely protected without over-vaccinating.

Also, another problem for the veterinarian lies with the pharmaceutical companies that sell the vaccines. Most of them put on their labels that a one-year booster is required, Hannon said.

"As a veterinarian, I'm not supposed to advise my client to go against the labeled usage just because I don't think they need the shot," says Hannon. "If the animal gets sick, who will be blamed, the pharmaceutical company that said to boost annually or the vet who tells the owner don't bother?"

But Schultz says the label is just a recommendation that was decided arbitrarily years ago.

Pfizer Animal Health has supported changes in the vaccination guidelines and believes the decision of how often and what vaccines to use should be left up to the veterinarians, said Robert Fauteux, a spokesman for Pfizer Animal Health.

He said Pfizer gave a $250,000 grant to Cornell University for a task force to study tumors in cats.

"There are some cats that live their whole lives indoors and might not need the same antigens that an outdoor cat needs," said Fauteux. "We rely on the veterinarians to make that call."

Hannon requires any cat or dog that visits his clinic to be vaccinated with several noncore vaccinations, including giardia and bordetella for dogs and giardia and upper respiratory infection for cats.

Until labels change on products or he doesn't see the diseases in his regular practice, he will continue to require vaccinations for his patients, he says.

Veterinarian Dr. Gerald Black burn says the issue has been batted about among his peers for years. It began after veterinarians began noticing tumors developing at the injection site on some cats. The vets began to question whether it was the vaccine or the shot itself that might be causing the tumor.

In determining whether to give yearly vaccinations, Black burn looks at the pet's lifestyle and what sort of exposure it faces.

Walls, who rescues Labrador retrievers from shelters and other places, says she vaccinates her dogs because they are exposed to strays and foster dogs that can bring in all sorts of illnesses.

But Pam Hampton, who lives in Tipton County, says after her Great Danes receive their puppy shots and first year booster, she doesn't vaccinate them again.

The five dogs have not developed illnesses and she believes they are healthier without all the vaccines and chemicals. She gets them tested to make sure their immune systems are still registering immunity against rabies and distemper.

"It just doesn't make sense to give them those shots when they aren't necessary," says Hampton.

Penny Webster, who rescues rottweilers for Serendipity Rottweiler Rescue in Huntsville, Ala., says her dogs get annual vaccinations until they are about seven or eight years old. From that point, she cuts back to every other year, except for rabies vaccinations, which the state requires to be given annually.

"I'm not willing to risk my dogs' lives," says Webster. "By the time they are 7 or 8, they aren't very active anymore anyway."

Another concern among veterinarians is whether people will bring their pets in for annual checkups unless they are compelled by annual vaccinations.

"Most of the tumors I've found on pets are during well-pet exams," says Blackburn. "They also need their teeth cleaned and just need to be looked at to make sure they are doing all right, just like a human."

He said if you consider that dogs age at a rate of five to seven years faster than a human, missing an annual checkup is like a human not seeing a doctor for five years.

Schultz encourages pet owners to take their pets to veterinarians annually, but not just for shots. The annual visits may include vaccines and other things animals need such as routine teeth cleaning and heartworm preventative.

"People who love their pets aren't just looking at the minor cost savings for vaccinations," said Schultz. "They are looking at their pets overall well-being and whether they really need the shots we are giving them."