On Tuesday, February 25th, at 8:40 a.m., police were dispatched to Augusta Drive at Arlington Drive (Mapleton development) for a report of a raccoon acting abnormally. Upon arrival, the officer located the raccoon on Augusta Drive and noted it was foaming at the mouth and appeared to be rabid. After consultation with the Animal Control Officer (ACO), the animal was euthanized and submitted by the ACO for rabies testing.
This morning (2/28) police were notified the rabies test conducted on the raccoon came back positive. Additionally, the ACO explained that the raccoon had injuries indicating it was involved in a fight with another animal. Residents should be mindful of any animals (wild or domestic) that are behaving abnormally, as any animal(s) having contact with the infected raccoon could have contracted rabies. Contact police immediately at 609-723-8300 if you see an animal acting strangely, that seems disoriented, or is moving about at odd hours (e.g. nocturnal animals that are active during the daylight hours).