On Friday, November 11, 2022 at 9:07 pm, Gaston County Police Animal Care and Enforcement responded to a call regarding a raccoon that entered upon the back porch of a residence in the 800 block of St. Marks Church Road in Bessemer City, NC and got in a fight with the resident’s two dogs. The dogs eventually chased the raccoon into some nearby woods. Animal Care and Enforcement later located the raccoon deceased in the woods. The raccoon was processed and a rabies specimen was sent to the North Carolina State Lab.
On Tuesday, November 15, 2022 at 12:44 pm, Gaston County Police Animal Care and Enforcement was notified the raccoon tested positive for rabies. Both dogs were up-to-date on their rabies vaccinations and received a booster.
Animal Care and Enforcement notified the animal owner and conducted a neighborhood canvas in the area of St. Marks Church Road in Bessemer City, NC to notify the community of the positive rabies result and to verify rabies vaccinations for family animals in the area. Gaston County Animal Care and Enforcement also notified the Gaston County Department Health and Human Services.
The Gaston County Police Animal Care and Enforcement stresses the importance of having an up-to-date rabies vaccination for all of your pets. By keeping your pet’s current on their rabies vaccines, you are protecting them from contracting the disease from wildlife and spreading the disease to your family and other animals, and people in the community. Furthermore, it is important to never handle or transport sick wildlife. The animal could have rabies. Gaston County residents should contact Gaston County Police Animal Care and Enforcement to capture and transport sick wildlife.
This represents the eleventh confirmed rabies case in Gaston County this year. No further information is available at this time.