HENRICO, Va. – Over the weekend Henrico Animal Protection Police Officers responded to two incidents involving rabid raccoons; one near Willow Lawn and the other in East Henrico.
On Friday, officers responded to the 5200 Block of Lee Avenue, near Willow Lawn Mall, for a report of several dogs fighting a raccoon. Several residents in the area told officers that they had seen a raccoon that appeared to be sick or injured. Another witness reported that their dogs had fought with the raccoon.
Officers captured the injured raccoon and submitted it to the State Lab for rabies testing. The raccoon tested positive for rabies.
The dog owner was notified and the dogs involved will be quarantined at the owner’s address.
There are no additional reports of animal or human exposures at this time regarding the raccoon involved in this incident. This was the fifth confirmed rabies case in 2017 for Henrico County.
Then on Saturday, October 28, a call was made from the 5100 Block of Colwyck Drive, to report a deceased raccoon that may have been killed by a dog. The complainant reported they had returned home late the night before and discovered a dead raccoon in the back yard with their dog.
The raccoon was submitted to the State Lab for rabies testing. The raccoon tested positive.
The dog involved will be quarantined at the owner’s address. There are no reports of any additional exposures at this time. This is the sixth confirmed rabies case in 2017 for Henrico County.
In light of these two most recent positive rabies cases, Henrico Police Animal Protection reminds everyone to keep their pets’ rabies vaccinations current in order to ensure the safety of their pets and our community.
Please report abnormal wildlife behavior or any exposure to wildlife or companion animals to the Henrico Police Non-Emergency Communications Center at (804) 501-5000.
