A family pet was killed last week after it was exposed to a rabid raccoon in Aliquippa, a state official reported this week.
A 20-year-old cat was mauled late in the evening of Nov. 17 at a home on Wade Street Extension in the city. The cat had to be euthanized because of its extensive injuries, said Dr. Erin Moore, Region 4 director of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture�s Bureau of Animal Health and Diagnostic Services.
Family members found an aggressive raccoon the next afternoon in their detached garage. The animal was captured and tested positive for rabies. No other animals or humans were reported exposed to the raccoon.
However, Moore said it is impossible to determine whether the raccoon may have exposed other domestic or wild animals before it was found in the garage, so she urged anyone who believes livestock or pets might have been exposed to contact the agriculture department at (724) 443-1585.