Officials: 3 Dogs Bitten By 2 Rabid Skunks
From CBS 11 TV in Dallas/Fort Worth.
This story is an important reminder that we all need to keep our pets' rabies vaccinations up-to-date, wherever we live. And we need to be in compliance with the local laws. There are indeed still rabid animals around us, so we need to make sure our pets have been vaccinated against rabies. And, even though a rabies vaccination may last much longer than a year or three years, as required by law in most places, we need to make sure that we have our pets vaccinated as often as required. Otherwise they can be facing lengthy quarantine times or worse.
Let's hope that the Rabies Challenge Study can show that dogs only need to be vaccinated every seven years. Until that time, please make sure you vaccinate your pets as required by law.
Officials: 3 Dogs Bitten By 2 Rabid Skunks
FORT WORTH (CBS 11 News) ? Today, Fort Worth officials say there have been two confirmed cases of rabid skunks and three family pets have now been quarantined.
Officials with Fort Worth animal control say three dogs were bitten by two separate rabid skunks.
The skunks were found in two separate areas in Tarrant County. The first area, in the zip code 76117, is north of I-30 and east of I-35W. It's nestled inside Loop 820. The second area, in the zip code 76248, is north of SH-121, to the east of I-35W.
The areas are not in rural Tarrant County, but are located in suburban neighborhoods.
Animal control officials say skunks are nocturnal, so if you encounter one during the day, there's likely something wrong with it.
The best method of prevention, according to Fort Worth Animal Control officials, is to get your pet vaccinated for rabies at least every three years or once a year.
All three of the dogs are being isolated in their homes. Two of them will be in quarantine for 45 days. One of the dogs had not been vaccinated for rabies and will have to be quarantined for 90 days.
All three dogs received immediate vaccination boosters.
For more information or to report a suspicious animal, contact Fort Worth Animal Care and Control at 817-392-3737.
