Provided information/ENCON
On June 2nd, ECO Damrath received an urgent call from the Erie County Department of Health requesting assistance locating a potentially rabid raccoon. Raccoons are a rabies vector species and therefore considered a dangerous wild animal in New York State.
(Provided photo)
Provided information/ENCON
According to the County, a man and his girlfriend took the animal to a pet store to get food and supplies, and one of the store’s employees contacted authorities. Using store surveillance cameras, a store-issued rewards card, and license plate information, ECO Damrath tracked down the raccoon’s owner to Attica in Wyoming County and convinced the subject to turn over the raccoon.
ECO Damrath transported the animal to a veterinary hospital for testing. Damrath charged two individuals for unlawfully possessing the raccoon and the owners each face a $500 fine. Rabies test results for the raccoon were negative.
DEC urges the public to leave wild animals alone. Possessing wild animals is unlawful, doing so can be deadly. Once a rabies infection is established, there’s no effective treatment.
That’s terrible so it died because she turned them in. And they lost a pet. 🥲