Rolesville, N.C. — Wake County health officials issued a rabies notice Monday afternoon after they confirmed that a dog came in contact with a rabid raccoon at the intersection of Mitchell Mill and Pulley Town roads between Rolesville and Zebulon.

Silver loves Rebel Red puppiesMay 1, 2007

I've given my puppies their shots before by buying them at the feed store. State law prohibits possession of the rabies vaccine by anyone other than a vet, and I'm ok with that. Rabies can be passed by getting saliva into an open cut, but it can also be passed by breathing droplets of it, like breathing the air in a cave where infected bats live. That's a little too easy passage for me to handle it myself. I'm not opposed at all to a rabies clinic, where the shots can be had for 5 dollars. If the shot can be had for 5 dollars from somewhere, that tells me there's a nifty little mark-up at the vets'. I like our vet, though, so I'm not complaining.

And yes, it is a sorry comment to make that poor people who can't afford vet visits don't need to have pets. One could say that people who keep German Shepherds in small cages during the day because they don't have a yard and don't want their persian rugs mussed don't need to have pets, either.

Wilson_NativeMay 1, 2007

A few months ago my husband and I came home to a raccoon trying to attack our dogs through our fence (we live in a subdivision near 401 & 540). I spent about 30 mins on the phone trying to contact someone about the problem. Let’s see…. we called the Sheriff’s Dept and they transferred us to Wake county animal control…. they told us they only handle domestic animals. We called the wildlife people through the City of Raleigh and they actually told us to go outside and chase away the raccoon with a water hose! I finally had to call 911 and tell them I had a rabid raccoon in my yard and there were kids outside trying to play with it… that worked, but unfortunately we had to wait another hour before someone came to pick it up – the raccoon was tested and found to be positive. Just makes me wonder how many cases are dealt with in this manner and how many rabid animals aren’t captured due to people listening to city officials and chasing them away with their water hose!!!!

Stormy13May 1, 2007

I am sorry, but if "poor people" can't afford to take their pets to the vet to keep them healthy then they don't need to have pets! Please, think of the pets.

spiritwarriorwomanMay 1, 2007

strolling bones - "back when you could buy rabies vacine at any feed store, rabies was unheard of. Vets made it impossible to get the shots except thru them. Now we have rabies breaking out in all parts of the state."

You're right! They claim it's so they can keep track of which animals are vaccinated and which are not, but if you had say 3 animals and receipts for 3 vials of the vaccine, who else would you give them to but those 3 animals???

The whole thing is disgusting and makes it impossible for poor people to keep their pets shots up-to-date without paying for an ENTIRE physical.

God bless.

Rev. RB

strolling bonesApr 30, 2007

back when you could buy rabies vacine at any feed store, rabies was unheard of. Vets made it impossible to get the shots except thru them. Now we have rabies breaking out in all parts of the state.