Rabid Skunk Found in North Fort Worth Neighborhood – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

The city of Fort Worth warns people to stay away from wildlife after control officials captured a skunk that tested positive for rabies.

Animal control officials captured the animal after it was sighted by a resident near Golden Triangle Boulevard and Harmond Road in Far North Fort Worth on Friday. The local resident told the city that the animal appeared to be “behaving strangely,” according to a press release.

One test sample was positive for rabies, a dangerous virus that can be transmitted through the saliva of infected mammals.

Anyone can become infected when handling bats or being bitten by a sick animal. Contact with the smell of the exposed skunk does not cause people to develop rabies, the city said.

The city wants people to heed the following pointers.

  • Do not approach or try to handle free roaming animals, including pets, that are behaving in unusual ways. Instead, contact the city call center at 817-392-1234 to report an incident.
  • Keep vaccinations posted for all dogs, cats, and other pets. This requirement is important not only to protect pets from rabies but also to provide a barrier for humans if an animal is bitten by a rabid animal.
  • Consider collecting any dog ​​or cat food and birdseed that has been left outside before dark.

Rabies and other pet vaccinations are available every Tuesday from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Chuck Silcox Animal Shelter on Block 4900 on Martin Street. Vaccination fees range from $ 5 for rabies to $ 25 for all vaccinations.

[ad_1]

Rabid Skunk Found in North Fort Worth Neighborhood