Animal Control rant/ideas?

[SlowButSteady]

I'm a DVM, so I get this question a lot.

From a public health standpoint, a raccoon behaving oddly or as though impaired or as though it has lost its fear of humans--I'd consider it rabid until proven otherwise. Distemper is another disease entity that can cause this in raccoons, but in my neck of the woods, rabies is much more common than distemper. It may be quite different where you are.

In my practice, I'd consider a raccoon behaving in that manner to be a public health hazard to people, pets and livestock. A ballpark estimate is that 80% of raccoons in my area behaving in that manner are rabies positive.

In the southeastern US, racoons are our most common rabid animal, followed by foxes and skunks.

Legal ramifications vary from state to state in the US, so I can only say that from my own state's standpoint, such an animal would be euthanized (most commonly in my neck of the woods, someone shoots it) and tested for rabies. In my area, "animal control" is nonexistent, so rural veterinarians are often called upon to take the brain from a deceased animal and then we submit it to our county health department, who in turn submits it to the state. If they are positive--meaning they are infected with rabies--the question is who/what was exposed.

There are official goverment protocols for dealing with exposed people, pets and livestock in the US.

On a holiday weekend in the USA, you'd also get the beaurocratic shuffle. Distill the public health P-O-V down and you'd find that the government acts as though a three day weekend trumps a rabies exposure. (medically, an exposed person has many days to develop clinical rabies infection, depending on where the bite is located).

People in my county are encouraged to hold the subject until government offices are open and then submit the subject for testing. If the subject is deceased, I recommend refrigeration until it can be submitted for the procurement of tissue samples.

FWIW, raccoons are extremely dexterious and are quite adept at slipping their humanlike hands through the cage and opening it.

Also, do not contact the raccoon or its saliva. And for your protection and theirs, keep pets and horses vaccinated as recommended by your veterinarian.

It's morbid to say it and it may horrify some people, but if its legal in your location and if anyone chooses to shoot a rabies suspect, don't shoot it in the head! The brain needs to be as intact as possible for testing.