Raccoon found in Struthers tests positive for rabies

Staff report

struthers

A raccoon found in the city has tested positive for rabies.

Mahoning County Health Commissioner Matthew Stefanak said the raccoon got into a fight with a pet dog Sept. 18 in the West Parkcliffe Avenue area.

The dog killed the raccoon, he said, and the Mahoning County District Board of Health picked it up for testing. After the positive result, the dog was quarantined, Stefanak said.

The board of health is reminding residents not to feed, touch or adopt wild animals and to be cautious around stray cats and dogs.

It recommends teaching children to leave wildlife alone and to report bites or scratches.

Cats, dogs and ferrets should be vaccinated.

Trash-can lids should be secure. Pet food should not be left outdoors because it will attract wildlife.

Stefanak said that rabies-vaccine baiting in the Ohio counties that border Pennsylvania was finished during the two weeks after Labor Day.

“It doesn’t eliminate the disease, but it controls it,” he said.

The board of health is sponsoring a rabies- vaccination clinic for dogs, cats and ferrets from 1 to 4 p.m. Oct. 8 at the Struthers Police Department, 6 Elm St. No appointment is necessary, and the cost is $6.

Pet owners must have their pets on a leash, in a carrier or in a pillowcase.