Sick Raccoon Warning
The Weaverville Police Department has received an increased number of calls about sick raccoons and encounters with residents. To reduce the risk of exposure, avoid contact with raccoons and other wild or stray animals. Rabies is a deadly viral disease that can be fatal if not treated before symptoms appear. It spreads when a healthy person or animal is bitten, licked, or scratched by an infected animal. Distemper is primarily spread through airborne exposure to infected respiratory secretions. Both diseases can affect the neurological system. Wild animals like raccoons, skunks, bats, and foxes commonly carry illness, even if they seem healthy.
Tips to Protect Yourself and Your Pets:
• Never handle a wild animal. Only trained wildlife experts with pre-exposure treatment should handle wild animals.
• If you see a sick raccoon, do not go near it or try to help.
• If you have contact with a raccoon, call animal control and seek immediate medical care.
• If your pet has contact with a raccoon, call animal control and take your pet to the vet immediately. Avoid touching areas where your pet was bitten or scratched.
• Make sure your pets, including outdoor cats, are up-to-date on their shots. Pets without rabies shots injured by wildlife must be euthanized to prevent the spread of rabies.
• Do not feed raccoons. Keep trash cans closed, and do not leave pet food outside to keep wildlife away from your home.
The Weaverville Police Department investigates and monitors reported animal-inflicted injuries to humans, such as bites, scratches, or other exposures. If you suspect you or your pet was exposed, please contact the Weaverville Police Department at 828-645-5700