Share
A Catawba County resident and a veterinarian might need rabies treatments after the most recent case of a rabid animal in the county.
The Animal Services division says the sixth confirmed case of rabies in Catawba County was an attack Thursday by a skunk on two puppies. Officials say one puppy died in the attack, and the other was seriously injured.
A resident shot and killed the skunk, and the owner took the injured dog to a veterinarian after the attack.
The skunk’s remains were sent to the North Carolina Public Health Laboratory, county officials say, and the lab reported Monday that the skunk tested positive for rabies. Mark Pettit, of Catawba County Emergency Services, says the puppy’s owner decided to have the injured dog euthanized.
Pettit says the pet owner and the veterinarian were advised to seek medical advice about possibly needing rabies treatment, because of their exposure to the dog after the attack.
“The best way to protect your pets from rabies is to have them properly vaccinated for rabies,” Pettit said.
He said Catawba County’s Animal Shelter provides one-year rabies vaccinations to pet owners from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.
