Rabies is an important zoonosis characterized by aggressiveness by compromising the central nervous system. In view of the importance of this disease for public and animal health, the present study points to the importance of reflecting on the effectiveness of health defense actions against this disease, with a view to reinforcing the actions already recommended and to develop new prophylactic proposals to reduce its incidence in Brazil. The general objective of this study was to research, describe and analyze the actions of the sanitary defense directed to animal rabies, passing through the chain of transmission to the human population, in addition to evaluating the effectiveness of these actions to promote veterinary public health. The study was carried out based on an exploratory bibliographic research in scientific databases. Over the years, it has been possible to observe a reduction in the incidence of rabies cases in dogs and cats in the urban cycle. The success in the sanitary defense against rabies is related to the development of diagnostic methods, such as direct immunofluorescence and flow cytometry, in addition to active and passive surveillance actions. In Brazil, through the application of general prophylaxis measures, it was possible to point out a considerable reduction in the number of cases of rabies in dogs in recent decades. In addition, efforts should be concentrated on the control and prevention of the disease, implementing existing actions and rethinking new strategies for prophylaxis throughout the national territory, since in recent years, there has been a change in the epidemiological profile of the disease, in which the epidemiological role of dogs, as urban reservoirs and main transmitters, has been resignified.