Rabid Fox Attacked Dog In Galloway Township: Officials

GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP, NJ — A fox that attacked a dog on the campus of Stockton University has tested positive for rabies, Atlantic County officials announced.

A dog was running with its owner near Waterway Drive when it was confronted and bitten by the fox, officials said. The fox was captured, and tested positive for rabies at a state lab on Wednesday. The dog was current on its rabies vaccination but received a booster vaccination for added protection, officials said.

This is the second case of rabies in the county this year, after a domesticated cat tested positive in Egg Harbor Township. There were a total of 10 cases of rabies in Atlantic County last year, including four raccoons, three cats, two bats and a skunk.

The county is advising residents to vaccinate their pets, as rabies can prove fatal if left untreated. The Atlantic County Animal Shelter provides a free rabies vaccination clinic for dogs and cats once a month at 240 Old Turnpike Road in Pleasantville.

The next clinic will be held on Sunday, Aug. 27, 9 a.m.-11 a.m. Dogs must be brought on leashes and cats in carriers. For more information call 609-485-2345 or visit www.aclink.org/animalshelter.

It takes 28 days from the time they receive the shot for a pet to be considered immunized from rabies. Residents are advised not to leave newly vaccinated animals or animals younger than three months old — and thus not eligible to receive the vaccination — alone outside. In the past, animals who were left outside alone were exposed to animals who may have been rabid. In those cases, the pets had to be euthanized, according to officials.

Residents are also advised not to allow their children near wild, stray or aggressive animals, and to never feed or touch wild animals or try to keep them as pets.

Anyone who is bitten should immediately treat the wound with soap and water and seek medical attention.
Report all animal bites to the Atlantic County Division of Public Health at 609-645-5971.

For more information about rabies control, visit the county website at www.aclink.org/publichealth or call 609-645-5971.

Patch file photo