6th Catawba County rabies case confirmed

A raccoon that bit a dog south of Maiden on Sunday had rabies, a state lab confirmed Tuesday.

The dog’s owner told officers he was working outside when his dog, resting nearby, cried out. The owner turned to see a raccoon biting the dog on the lip. The dog and the raccoon fought briefly before the dog’s owner shot and killed the raccoon.

The raccoon was Catawba County’s sixth confirmed rabies case of the year.

The dog was current on its rabies vaccination. Catawba County Animal Services officials advised the owner to take the dog to a veterinarian for a rabies booster shot.

Joe Marusak

This story was originally published September 16, 2015 at 8:51 AM with the headline "6th Catawba County rabies case confirmed."