Raccoon attacks spur alert for rabies in Coral Springs

By Robert Nolin, Staff Writer, Posted May 17 2002

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CORAL SPRINGS · Animal control officers went door-to-door in Coral Springs on Thursday warning residents after a rabid raccoon attacked two homeowners in the previous week.

The raccoon attacked and bit a man mowing his lawn on May 10. A Coral Springs humane unit officer was called but failed to find the animal. The following day the same raccoon, which had an injured mouth, bit a woman working in her yard.

This time the officer captured the animal in the 8700 block of Northwest 19th Drive, in the southeast part of the city. The officer euthanized the raccoon and took it to the Broward County Health Department for rabies testing.

The raccoon tested positive for rabies, and its two victims are receiving rabies vaccinations. The raccoon was the 13th rabid animal found in Broward County since July 2000. In September, when a fox in Coconut Creek was found to be rabid, the Health Department issued a rabies alert for much of northwest Broward.

That alert was lifted in January, when no new cases were reported in four months.

Besides warning residents, animal control officers are also checking on pet registration. They are issuing warnings to pet owners whose animals do not have yearly rabies vaccinations. Owners have 30 days to get their pets vaccinated or face a $110 fine per pet.

The officers have also increased surveillance in Coral Springs and are impounding any stray dog or cat they find.

Copyright © 2002, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

[Is the rabies vaccination still shots in the stomach? I recall that it hurts to get them. On another note, last night on the news they were talking about skunks getting their heads caught in yogurt containers, those Yoplait brand containers where the top is smaller than the bottom, and the skunk gets his head caught inside and eventually dies unless someone gets the container off in time. skunks are good at controlling the lesser vermin population, btw.]

-- Anonymous, May 17, 2002