So sad, 20+ dogs at our shelter exposed to rabies

14 years ago

...and will be put down early this week.

Our local Circle of Friends Animal Shelter took in two stray dogs in March. One of them was sent to a foster fami1y and within a few days was showing signs of rabies. The dog, "Cookie", was euthanized, and tissue testing proved rabies.

The second stray that was caught and brought in the same time as "Cookie," was also euthanized.

Now, on the recommendation of the State Veterinarian and the Animal Board of Hea1th the shelter dogs that were in close contact with these two must also be put down. About 15 people are having to start anti-rabies shots, too.

Comments (6)

cynic
14 years ago
That's so sad. I'm concerned though where they're catching it in the wild. Skunks, raccoons and the like can all have rabies and people need to be careful in the area if there is a lot of it around.

Be careful out there! Don't want you having to go through those shots!

But yes, people should be responsible for their animals. But they're so irresponsible for so many other things, all you can do is shake your head and wish stupidity was painful.
petaloid
14 years ago
What a shame.
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caroline94535
Original Author
14 years ago
My vet; or rather Harry's vet, was treating a horse out on a farm last summer. It had a strange litany of sympt0ms; it bit and attacked Dr. S. It was rabid, and for about the third time in his career he had to have the complete rabies series again.

Sam's vet, Dr. O., has never gone below the "safe" levels in his antigens. Apparently all vets are given a series of rabies shots during vet school and then are tested yearly. If their "antigen numbers" are above a certain level, they don't have to have booster shots unless they're exposed by a fresh, rabid animal bite.

Dr. S said he has to get boosters nearly every year, while Dr. O has never fallen below the "safe" numbers.

I was one of those weird kids that was always dragging home wayward animals...stray c@ts and dogs, rabbits, squirrels, turtles, frogs, ducks...anything I could get my hands on.

Grandma was always warning me, but it didn't slow me down. I know I had angels watching over me: I was never exposed to anything worse than a flea or a tick (and they can be bad enough for some people.)

She did, absolutely, draw the line at skunks. I was to never, ever try to touch one or pick it up, and after about age 8 the urge left me.

Thankfully, I've gotten much more cautious in my old age. I've had to trap a couple stray/feral cats here, but I'm super careful when moving the traps and taking them to the shelter. I use a broom handle to pick up the trap; set the trap in a large cardboard box, and then set that in the cargo area of my car. When I get home I burn the box.

I no longer run up to loose dogs, either.
marilyn_c
14 years ago
That is very sad.

One of my farriers had to have the rabies shots...a horse he handled was rabid. You don't think of farm animals getting rabies, but it can happen.

Fortunately rabies is rare here, and usually it is skunks or bats that carry it around here.
linda_in_iowa
14 years ago
We have the dumbest law here. My 3 cats are strictly indoor cats because we have a strict leash law for cats as well as dogs. But yet my cats have to have rabies vaccine. My vet said it is in case the cats bite someone. In CA, even outdoor cat owners had the option of whether or not to get the rabies vaccine for their cats.
trishaw
14 years ago
Every year here in South Carolina we get the news reports about someone having been bitten by a rabid fox or raccoon. We are extra careful when going out at night as that is when the majority of our wildlife shows up in the dog pen. The dogs of course are already in the house at that time. I also wish stupid was painful.

Trish in SC

So sad, 20+ dogs at our shelter exposed to rabies

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cynic

petaloid

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So sad, 20+ dogs at our shelter exposed to rabies

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cynic

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