Third Rabies Case of 2010 Confirmed
Unvaccinated dogs kill fox, euthanized
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 9, 2009
BURLINGTON The North Carolina State Laboratory of Public Health in Raleigh has confirmed Alamance Countys third rabies of 2010. On Tuesday morning, Burlington Animal Control responded to a residence on East Sixth Street, where two dogs had killed a fox overnight. Both dogs did not have a current rabies vaccination and were euthanized.
We are very troubled to see a growing trend of owners failing to keep vaccinations up to date, said Carl Carroll, Environmental Health Director with the Alamance County Health Department. All of Alamance Countys rabies cases thus far, have unfortunately resulted in family pets being quarantined or euthanized. Pet owners must take the responsibility for keeping vaccinations up-to-date very seriously, Carroll concluded.
The first rabies shot given to a dog or cat is good for one year. Booster shots received thereafter are good for three years. Any lapse could not only endanger the pet, if bitten by a rabid animal, but also any humans that may come into contact with the pet. State law requires that a dog or cat exposed to a rabid animal and is not vaccinated must either be euthanized or quarantined for six months at an approved animal control facility or veterinarian's office, at the owners expense.
The Alamance County Health Department urges any pet owner who has allowed a lapse in their dog or cats rabies vaccination to call their local veterinarian office for information or an appointment as soon as possible.