Maine’s Auburn — State wildlife authorities in Maine said that a raccoon that a woman brought into a pet shop for a nail trim and other customers kissed was put to death and rabies-tested.
According to Mark Latti, a Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife spokesman, the raccoon tested negative for the disease, and there is no rabies danger to the general population. Raccoons are one of the most frequent rabies carriers in the state. Thus, Latti said that bringing the wild animal into a pet store posed an unwarranted health risk to the general public.
The woman took the raccoon into an Auburn pet store on Tuesday, according to the wildlife department, which the authorities have not named. According to the department, she wanted to have the animal’s nails clipped, which is a service the business does not offer to raccoons.
The wildlife department reported that the animal was handled by numerous persons, some of whom even kissed it. The store manager ordered the woman to leave before contacting the Maine Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.
When the raccoon was later tested for the illness, the results were negative but forced its euthanasia, according to Latti. According to him, there is no nonlethal test for animal rabies.
State wildlife authorities in Maine said that a raccoon that a woman brought into a pet shop for a nail trim and other customers kissed was put to death and rabies-tested.
Once symptoms develop, rabies is almost invariably lethal in people, so anyone with it must get help very once. Wildlife should ideally be left alone, but animal control officials can also be alerted if any animals show signs of suffering, according to Latti.
They become more likely to cause trouble or get hit by a car when they lose their fear of people, according to Latti.
According to the wildlife agency, customers who touched the animal at the store should still make a precautionary call to their doctors. Raccoons can spread several illnesses to both people and other animals.
An inquiry for comment on Sunday has yet to receive a response from the pet shop, a branch of the national brand Petco. A retail representative forwarded a request to the company’s headquarters in San Diego.
SOURCE – (AP)
