By JOHN T. WARD
A raccoon that tussled with a dog in Fair Haven last month had rabies, redbankgreen has learned.
Animal Control Officer Henry Perez said the raccoon “got into a fight” with a borough resident’s dog on December 22 and was captured by Perez’s backup, Debbie Nagel.
A police report says the incident took place in the vicinity of the Church of the Nativity parking lot, at Hance Road and Ridge Road, at 7:40 that morning, according to Chief Joe McGovern.
Tests on the euthanized raccoon came back positive for rabies four days later, Perez said.
The rabid animal was the first Perez said he could recall having been found in the borough in recent years. In 2016 and 2017, eight and four animals were found to have had rabies, respectively, he said.
But wild animals that have not come in direct contact with humans or pets and appear to be rabid are destroyed without being tested, Perez notes.
Neither Perez nor McGovern had information about the dog. In most cases, canines would be protected by rabies vaccine booster shots, Perez said.
