The Saskatchewan government is taking over responsibility for rabies programming from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
Agriculture Minister Lyle Stewart has announced $500,000 for new rabies response to help farmers and ranchers if their animals are exposed to the disease.
Private veterinarians will collect samples from suspect animals, submit the samples for rabies testing and then follow up if there's a positive result.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says bats, foxes, skunks and raccoons are the most common transmitters of the disease.
The province says the number of rabies in animals in Saskatchewan has fallen over the last few years with 34 cases in 2011, 24 cases in 2012 and 13 cases last year.
The Saskatchewan Health Ministry will continue to deal with human exposure to potential rabies.
