Rabid Skunk Attack

JANUARY 24, 2007: At a Freedom Selectmens' meeting, Ron Price (Selectman for the Town of Knox) advised all present that on 1/24/07, a rabid skunk was killed in Knox, on the Morse Rd.

Two skunks entered a dog kennel and attacked the dog inside; one skunk was killed, and the other ran off. No word on the status of the dog.  The dead skunk was sent to the State Health lab in Augusta, and Ron reports it was confirmed that it was rabid. Presumption is that the skunk who ran off is also rabid. Freedom residents are advised to be on the look out for this skunk, and other animals that behave oddly.

MARCH 11, 2006: A raccoon attacked a dog on the Bryant Road Saturday. The dog, although tied up at the time, killed the raccoon. The dog's caretakers (the dog was a recently taken-in stray) notified Tina Freeman, Freedom's animal control officer when initial calls to the State Game Wardens office failed to produce a response. She brought the dead raccoon's body to the Environmental Testing Laboratory at the DHS office. The raccoon tested positive for rabies. Because of the serious nature of the disease and the fact that it could not be ascertained whether the dog had previously had a rabies vaccination, the animal had to be euthanized. Since the man and woman involved handled the dog after the attack, they are undergoing treatment for rabies exposure.

Freeman warned residents to stay away from wild animals acting abnormally. "Do not try to trap, shoot, or touch them in any way," she warned. "That is a job for professionals." In addition, she strongly recommended checking pets who go outside for cuts or abscesses and making sure their rabies vaccinations are up to date. Any contact with the rabies virus is a life or death emergency, and she stressed that people who may have been exposed get help immediately. The usual procedure is to call the State Wardens Office (547-5318 or 547-5319) or call 911 and insist on immediate help in getting a downed animal tested. Call Tina Freeman, Freedom's Animal Control Officer, at 382-6610 for more information.