This is Habersham County’s second positive case of rabies so far this year
A rabid skunk bit an 8-week-old puppy and now the entire litter is under quarantine.
The incident happened Monday at a residence on Fieldview Drive in Mt. Airy, according to Habersham County Animal Care and Control (HCACC). All of the puppies were housed in the same enclosure. The owner reported that the skunk was acting “highly aggressive” and bit one of them.
The owner killed the skunk. HCACC Director Madi Nix retrieved the body and submitted it to the Health Department for testing. On Tuesday, Feb. 26 the Health Department notified Animal Control that the skunk tested positive for rabies.
The owner surrendered the injured puppy. Nix took it to a veterinarian for a rabies vaccine and wound treatment. “The pup will remain in a four month strict isolation quarantine at her residence unless clinic signs of rabies appear,” says Nix.
As a precaution, all of the other puppies were vaccinated for rabies and will also be kept in isolation quarantine for four months.
This is Habersham County’s second confirmed positive case of rabies this calendar year. The first occurred in January in Clarkesville and involved a rabid raccoon.
