RED BANK: BIRD DELIVERY, ON THE CHEEP
Red Bank animal control officer Henry Perez and FedEx driver Vinnie Losapio went looking for a sparrow that flew into Losapio’s truck and up under the dashboard Thursday morning.
FAIR HAVEN: RACCOON FOUND TO BE RABID
By JOHN T. WARD
A raccoon that tussled with a dog in Fair Haven last month had rabies, redbankgreen has learned.
MIDDLETOWN: RABIES COUNT STILL RISING
Middletown officials have now confirmed eight cases of rabies in wild animals this year.
The latest case followed a report by a resident in the area of Walnut Avenue between Pine Street and Chestnut Street who saw a raccoon acting sickly in the backyard.
MIDDLETOWN: RABIES CASES ON THE RISE
Middletown officials are warning residents to be cautious about sickly wildlife after five confirmed cases of rabid raccoons over the past five weeks.
According to an alert issued by the township health department Wednesday morning, the latest case involved a raccoon that was trapped after a homeowner in the area of Red Hill Road and Dwight Road notified them that the animal was acting sickly in the back yard.
The animal was trapped and euthanized, and a laboratory test confirmed the presence of rabies, the announcement said.
RED BANK: RABID BAT GETS INTO HOUSE
A brown bat captured by Red Bank’s animal control officer last month. That one turned out to be rabies-free. (Click to enlarge)
By JOHN T. WARD
A pregnant Red Bank woman and her husband are facing rabies vaccinations after being exposed to a rabid bat inside their home early last week, redbankgreen has learned.
The bat was the second to get into the Irving Place residence in a matter of days, said the owner, who asked that his name not be published out of concern for privacy. The first, which was also captured, turned out to be disease-free.
The rabid bat was also the third bat to get into a Red Bank home in less than two weeks, says Animal Control Officer Henry. And one got into the Red Bank Charter School less than two weeks ago, too.
SHREWSBURY CAT COLONY HEADING TO COURT
The feral cat colony is tucked away in the woods behind a day care center and businesses on Avenue of the Commons. (Photo by Danielle Tepper. Click to enlarge)
By DANIELLE TEPPER
Lurking in the woods adjacent to a day care center on ShrewsburyÂ’s Avenue of the Commons is a group of wild animals that may seem out of place in this suburban enclave better known for its burgeoning deer population.
It’s a colony of feral cats that have claimed the wilderness as their own personal scavenging ground – abetted, authorities contend, by two women who feed them at an improvised encampment built several hundred feet into the woods.
Jeanette Petti of Oceanport and Ruth Rapkin of Tinton Falls are scheduled to appear in municipal court Tuesday on charges that they’re illegally harboring the colony in the woods adjacent to the school.
The pair face misdemeanor allegations they failed to obtain vaccinations and licenses for the felines, and that they are maintaining a nuisance on public and private property, according to summonses issued May 8.